


Pokémon Platinum: A Journey of Abstracts

by ScorpioRat



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Main Video Game Series), Pocket Monsters: Diamond & Pearl & Platinum | Pokemon Diamond Pearl Platinum Versions
Genre: Action/Adventure, Developing Friendships, Gen, Magical Realism, Novelization, Pokemon Battles
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-03
Updated: 2020-12-19
Packaged: 2021-03-01 23:53:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 29,481
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23975569
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ScorpioRat/pseuds/ScorpioRat
Summary: Dawn is driven by spite to become a trainer, Barry has more determination to win than sense in his head, and Lucas never really thought much about his path in life beyond lab work. A trip across Sinnoh turns into a conflict of legends, triggered by one man's desire for a more perfect world.A slightly more grounded Pokemon Platinum Novelization, with some tweaked plot points and additional character focus.
Comments: 13
Kudos: 23





	1. Logic, Impulsivity, and Hesitation

**Author's Note:**

> I'll be honest, I've thought about publishing a Pokemon story on and off for a while now, but I had this short draft laying around since November so I've decided to test the waters. I don't really read many stories in this fandom but I do tend to enjoy novelizations the most, and Platinum is one of my favorite games in the series in general. I've also found myself drawn to more logic based world building. I love the science-fiction aspect of Pokemon, but at the end of the day I think there should always be some mystical elements to it when it comes to Legendaries and things like that. Here's hoping I can keep it balanced.

Twinleaf Town was a quiet settlement in the southwest corner of the Sinnoh region. Only a few thousand people called this collection of suburbs, open, rolling fields, and hardy evergreen trees their home. _Fresh and Free_ was Twinleaf's slogan, proudly painted on the sign by the lone road leading in and out, and it wasn't a false advertisement. While they lacked a crowd-drawing gym, a high tech laboratory, or dazzling sky scrapers, the town had plenty of clean air and open space to enjoy. The adults cultivated gardens and fished in the small ponds dotting the landscape, and the children ran around without worry of busy roads or construction. Starly flocks sat on power lines and tree branches, and the woods echoed with the musical cries of Kricketune as the sun set. A small hike through Route 201's wilderness would take you to the scenic shores of Lake Verity, the sealed cavern at the center of the calm waters drawing in legend-chasers and researchers from all over. Most were met with disappointment, but at least the weather and view were nice.

The town consisted of ranches and two-story homes, built on stone foundations with wooden frames and slightly curved roofs to keep the snow off when winter arrived. There were only a few main asphalt streets, lined with shops, restaurants, a local supermarket, and a couple of school buildings. The rest of the roads were nothing but dirt and pebbles, smoothed down by constant use. The firehouse needed a fresh coat of paint, and there was a basic clinic for the injured or sick, people or Pokémon. If anyone required serious treatment, they had to be transferred to the hospital in Sandgem Town less than an hour's drive away.

Dawn Hidaka had lived in the same town for 14 years and counting. The same house too, right beside her friend Barry's. Her parents had moved from Kanto shortly after marrying and bought land back when the town was barely on the map. It'd grown since then. But the atmosphere was almost unchanged. Dawn considered Twinleaf to be very...isolated. She saw the same things every day. The whole town was familiar with itself, and there weren't many reasons for her mother to venture out anymore.

Once an impressive Pokemon Coordinator that dazzled the main stage in Hearthome City with her prized Glameow, she'd now settled down in retirement. The Pokémon that was once on the cover of all sorts of Super Contest magazines spent most of the day napping on a sunlit window sill or chasing pests off the property. Not too impressive, but Dawn could tell from the way the Glameow moved and reacted that he was still very capable… if he ever felt inclined to do anything at all. And her father… He worked. Constantly patrolling Sinnoh, jumping from assignment to assignment with the occasional call home. It made her jealous.

Dawn was restless. If she were a little older, she could maybe apply for the Trainer Program at school, but there were a few more years to go before she was eligible for a permanent card and the freedom that came with it. Until then, she had more time to learn and prepare.

Her room up on the second floor of the house was packed, yet neatly organized. The floor was polished wood, covered with a large throw rug to make it less cold to walk on. Her bed was tucked into a back corner, carefully made that morning. A few Pokémon dolls sat on top of the sheets, staring blankly. A television sat on a stand with a built-in cabinet, filled with DVDs of nature documentaries, recorded battles from years ago, and a few movies she liked enough to own. Her desk and laptop were next to it, along with a game system that she had almost solely to keep up with Barry. The walls were covered in colored maps of Sinnoh and other regions, some for topography, some with all the major settlement names, and some labeled with Pokémon habitat zones. Her bookshelf was stuffed to the brim with fiction books and much thicker ones on biology, mythology, history, and competitive battle strategies. A collection of figurines of tv show characters were organized on top of it.

She had a window that looked out onto the front yard and the house across the way, along with a nice view of the treeline in the distance. There was a faint barking from the neighbor's Houndour as a lone car passed, but Dawn tuned it out as she sat on the floor, watching the end of a television special set in Kanto with rapt interest.

_"Pokémon are by our side, always. I hope you will understand the meaning of those words."_

Dawn wasn't sure what to make of that quote from Professor Rowan. He was a stern looking older man with thick white hair and matching mustache and sideburns to match, but he was surprisingly idealistic when it came to his studies and how Pokémon related to people. He'd been away in Kanto for about four years, but now he'd returned to Sandgem Town to continue his own research on Pokémon Evolution. His latest theory was that 90% of all Pokémon were connected in some way to others through evolution, and now he was dedicated to dissecting why evolution occurred in some species but not others. As much as she was focused on the battling aspect of training, Dawn found his research very thought provoking. Maybe one day, she'd convince her mother to visit Sandgem and see the professor in person. She wondered if he was going to start giving out Pokémon to new trainers in the area soon…

"Dawn!" She didn't even flinch as Barry yelled from the top of the staircase. She was too used to his outbursts by now. "You saw the special, right? The one with Rowan in it?"

"...I recorded it, but yes." Dawn stood up and shut the television off, taking a moment to stretch as Barry vibrated in place.

"Yeah, I knew you'd watch it. You like that kind of technical stuff. I thought it was kinda dry, but it gave me an idea! We should get to Sandgem and ask him for Pokémon!" She blinked at him, and he stopped and tilted his head. "What? You're not excited?

"Barry, we don't have licenses."

"Pfft, we don't need em just to have partners!" That was true. You only needed to be a certified trainer to have Sinnoh League official battles and other professional contests that were based around Pokémon. Her mother still had her card from years ago, and made sure to keep renewing it when it was about to expire. But still…

"We can't walk around Route 201 defenseless, and we don't have repels to keep the wild ones away. I don't think Glameow is going to listen to me if we take him with us either."

"Hey, did you think I forgot? I've got a plan, okay?" Dawn really didn't like the sound of that. Barry always had a plan, and those plans tended to be even worse than the original problem. "Just meet me at the edge of town. If you're late, I'm gonna fine you ten thousand bucks, you got that?" He thundered back down the stairs before she could get a response out, leaving her not much of a choice at all. Of course she was going to follow him, if only to see what he thought was going to get him through the thickets between here and Sandgem in one piece. And a small part of her really did wonder if it was possible to get a partner of her own. That would give her a massive head start on her own plans if she trained up a Pokémon early. There was a faint smile on her face when she journeyed downstairs, taking her time.

She needed every advantage she could get if her father wasn't going to help. Johanna looked up from reading the newspaper on the living room couch as she approached. Glameow was glaring at the door as if it'd cursed him, his hackles slightly raised. Probably upset by all the noise.

"Oh, you just missed Barry, honey. He's outside already. What's gotten him so worked up today?" she asked. Dawn shrugged.

"Pokémon." Her mother laughed.

"Yes, that does sound like him." Dawn scratched between Glameow's ears as she headed for the door, getting a purr in response. As haughty as he acted at times, he did appreciate attention. "You're going out for a while?" she asked after Dawn grabbed a duffel bag.

"...Not really. Just being prepared. I'll come back later." She made sure to take a key with her in case mom went shopping, and then set off down the road. Or she would have, if Barry wasn't right across the street. She stopped behind him while he crouched at the gate to the neighbor's yard. The Houndour was still barking, but as soon as Barry offered a hand for him to inspect, he went quiet.

"What's up with you, buddy? Did the traffic scare you?" Barry asked, his voice quiet. That was a rare occurrence. The Houndour inched a little closer and sniffed his fingers. While it'd usually be dangerous to approach a Pokémon that didn't belong to you without checking with the trainer first, this was a house pet. A bit smaller than the average Houndour and purposely bred to have weaker attacks and more gentle behavior. The most that Houndour could do to Barry was singe his hand or nip too hard, a far cry from a tougher one. Breeders had managed to control Pokémon traits to an amazing degree over the last 10 years, and a variety of popular species now had naturally domesticated versions available in commercial markets. Tauros, Ponyta, and Milktank were popular choices for ease of ranching, and smaller, "cute" Pokémon like Pikachu, Zigzagoon, and Buneary were very common pet choices these days. They weren't suited for battle at all though, and it'd take years to get one up to speed with a more combat oriented Pokémon.

"You're set on this idea, huh?" Dawn asked, crouching next to him as he pet the Houndour.

"Yup. I know it's gonna work!" He stood up again. "And then you'll be thanking me for getting you a Pokémon early!"

"Of course. Let's just...get it over with already." He stuck his tongue out at her before running ahead, and she shook her head before jogging after him. They left their bikes in the yard to make it less obvious they were going somewhere far, and bikes wouldn't be of much use in the thick brambles of the path they needed to take. Worst case scenario, a wild Pokémon damaged it and they'd have to explain to their parents what happened. The neighborhood wasn't far from the edge of town though, and the civilized part of Twinleaf was soon a good distance behind them. The start of Route 201 was marked by an old wooden archway, a remnant of a time before the main road was constructed. That road was only for cars, so it was impossible for them to take without an adult. The trees were far denser here, and while there was a somewhat visible path that led to Sandgem, it was obscured in places by many interwoven bushes and overgrown grass patches. The perfect environment for bolder Pokémon to hide out in. Dawn's pulse quickened as she heard the sharp cry of one. Maybe a Bidoof hidden in the shadows? For a moment, she thought she was afraid, but after another few seconds passed, she realized she was excited. This was new. Dangerous. A Challenge.

Was this why Dad couldn't stand to stay here for longer than a few years? She imagined it'd be hard to not want to return to a life on the road. Barry touched her shoulder, snapping her out of it.

"You still good?" he asked, his grin fading a little.

"Y-yeah, it's fine. I zoned out." The emotion drained out of her like water from a faulty canteen. Back to normal.

"Good! Alright, here's the plan. As soon as we get into that grass, we just...keep moving! Long as we're running, the Pokémon can't react fast enough to jump out!" Was he serious?

"...Barry, no," she said firmly. "That's terrible."

"What? But you didn't even try! We just gotta run fast, and we're good at that." Sure, they had pretty good gym grades, but that was a little different from a life threatening situation. There weren't a bunch of roots and trees to dodge on the track field either.

"There's no way that's going to work for longer than about a minute."

"Look, I'll show you." He walked past her, intent on proving his ridiculous and possibly deadly point. Her eyes widened, and she took a step forward.

"Wait, don't-

"What do you kids think you're doing?" Barry froze up, and she almost jumped at the unexpected, booming voice. A tall thicket shook, and then a familiar old man in a dark coat pushed his way through. They were in trouble now.

"Woah, it's him…" Barry whispered. Dawn elbowed him, keeping her eyes on Professor Rowan. He was somehow just as intimidating in real life as he was in that documentary. Despite being 60, he didn't seem to have any issues walking around the woods, and his tone commanded a sort of authority that was hard to brush off.

"Children should not be wandering in the wilderness without something to protect them," he continued, walking towards them. He eyed their very empty belts. He was tall enough to make Dawn feel like she was in elementary school again. "Well? What do you have to say for yourselves?"

"Um…" Dawn blinked, at a loss for words.

"We wanted to see your lab and get our own starters!" Barry said, snapping out of his stupor. Dawn expected him to shout again, but instead, the professor looked pensive.

"...Is that so? You want to be trainers, then?" he asked. She could tell he was sizing them up.

"Yes, Sir," she said, giving him a polite bow.

"And you think you deserve them after the stunt you tried to pull?"

"No, Sir..." they both mumbled. Barry looked guilty for a split second, and then there was a determined look in his eyes.

"It was my fault, Professor," he said. "I came up with the idea, but don't punish Dawn." She turned and stared at him, shocked by his confession. Barry wanted to be a trainer just as much as she did. He wasn't much for heavy reading or technical theories, but he had a way with Pokémon that Dawn was envious of. He could figure out how to get the best out of them like he could hear them speak, and she believed that would carry him far one day. Mastering the Sinnoh League was their shared dream, even if their motivations were different. How was he ever going to get strong enough to challenge the Battle Tower if he never received a starter Pokémon? Professor Rowan cocked his head to the side and rubbed his chin.

"Hm. How old are you kids?"

"Uh...14."

"A couple of years off the usual start time, then." Barry's face fell. "But not impossible to work with."

"Wait, what?" he asked.

"I was debating registering you both as certified trainers." Professor Rowan turned back to the woods, letting Dawn and Barry wonder what had just occurred over the last minute. Were they seriously this lucky? Barry should buy a lottery ticket. "Lucas, come here with my briefcase!" he bellowed, scaring a few unfortunate Starly overhead.

"Hold on!" Oh, someone else was out here too. A dark haired boy around their age stumbled out into the open, holding a brown business case to his chest. He wore a red hat with a blue Pokéball design on the side, along with a black and white shirt and long blue cargo pants. A red scarf was tied around his neck, with a few leaves stuck in the fabric. He was panting a little when he came to a stop. "Professor, you shouldn't go on ahead like that!"

"Never-mind the details, I need you to show these two the starters I have," he said.

"These two?" Lucas looked at them and frowned. "Uh...who exactly are they?"

"I'm Barry, and this is Dawn! Nice to meet you!" Lucas only looked more confused.

"...Hello."

"I've selected them as new trainers." The Professor took the briefcase from him and clicked the latch, causing it to open and reveal three red and white Pokéballs. They were each marked with a name. "You may choose between Turtwig, Chimchar, and Piplup." Barry's mouth was wide enough to catch an entire Butterfree, but then he shook his head and took a step back.

"You pick first, Dawn. I'll go second. It's only fair." He crossed his arms and nodded. He really wanted to prove he was mature, she guessed. Lucas still looked like he didn't approve of this, but held whatever he wanted to say.

"If you insist." She examined the capsules with a critical eye. Dawn remembered doing research on it all a couple of years ago, wanting to figure out the best option.

"I'll take Chimchar," she said quietly, picking up the ball with the little flame design. An image of an older man and a large Charizard standing by Lake Verity filled her mind, but she pushed it away. This had nothing to do with longing or admiration. Chimchar was going to be her own unique partner. Better than Charizard, even.

"Alright, then Piplup's mine!" Barry took the ball marked with a water droplet. Dawn rolled her eyes.

"You did that on purpose."

"I'm taking all the advantages I can get if you're gonna be my rival," Barry said. "I've seen your scores in the virtual battles." Every school began to teach the vital skills for working with Pokémon around the age of ten, from using a Pokéball and field medicine correctly to how to give clear, smart commands. The older kids got to participate in the special simulations against AI and human opponents, fighting turn based battles under different scenarios. It wasn't exactly like the real thing, but it taught the concepts of keeping your Pokémon's weaknesses in mind, along with constantly monitoring its condition in a shifting battle. A trainer had a responsibility to keep their partners as safe as possible, unless it was a life or death scenario for the human. There was a very thick handbook covering the rules trainers had to follow if they wanted to keep their license.

"Well then, that's settled." Professor Rowan closed the briefcase and handed it back to Lucas. "If you're accepting those Pokémon, then I'll be waiting for your certification papers at my lab. Fill them out and email them to me as soon as possible, and I will see to the rest. In about... a month's time, your Trainer Passes should arrive. I want to meet the both of you in Sandgem Town for me to brief you on a task I need assistance with."

"A...task?" Barry asked.

"Yes. Those starters are valuable, and if I'm going to let you keep them, then I hope you'll be kind enough to do me a favor in return. It would greatly help my research. Does that seem reasonable?" he asked. It made sense in her mind. Professors sent trainers off on errands all the time, mostly to gather fresh field data.

"Of course," Dawn said, standing up a little straighter. "We'll agree to it."

"Very good. I hope you take the time to sort out your affairs before we speak again. Come, Lucas. There's still today's work to finish…" Without any fanfare, Professor Rowan departed in the direction of Sandgem Town. Lucas snapped out of whatever he'd been thinking about and hurried along.

"Can't believe it all happened so fast…" Barry said, not letting the silence stretch on for too long. A short laugh escaped him. "We're gonna be trainers! I'm holding a _real_ Pokémon in my hands!"

"Yeah, you are." It was hard to fight off a smile as she looked down at her own Pokéball. They were minimized at the moment for easier storage, about the size of a ping pong ball, keeping the Pokémon in full stasis. But as soon as she activated it, her Chimchar would wake up, or at least be conscious enough to interact with. "...We're going to have to tell the school we're leaving too."

"Ugh, it'll be hard enough getting my mom to not freak out, and now we gotta worry about homework too?" It was summer now, but Trainers under the age of 16 still needed to finish their classes online as they traveled. Schools had programs specifically for students that couldn't attend physically.

"It won't be that bad. It'll give us something to do while we train."

"I figured you would say that." He suddenly grinned and tossed his Pokéball in the air a few times. "So...how about a battle? The Professor said we have a whole month, so we might as well get used to this stuff. I wanna see my Pokémon right now."

"It's been less than five minutes, but...I guess it wouldn't hurt."

"Yes! Alright, let's do this!" He clicked the Pokéball's button, and it grew to the size of a baseball. "Go, Piplup!" He threw it at the ground, causing it to ricochet upward and burst open. A white beam of light was expelled, and then a penguin-like creature with blue feathers materialized. Its large blue eyes blinked rapidly, adjusting to reality as Barry caught the ball's rebound. "He's so small…" He was right, it was barely over a foot tall. The Piplup startled and turned to face him. He crouched in front of the Pokémon and tapped the ground gently. "Hey buddy, I'm your trainer," he said in a softer voice. The Piplup stared at first, but then waddled over to him. Barry patted it on the head, and it chirped. "I'm Barry, and I'm gonna have to figure out a name for you!" As usual, he'd won it over in record time. Dawn expanded her ball and looked at it for a long moment. Would it like her? She read a little about Chimchars and they didn't seem stuck up or difficult. What if their personalities didn't work well together? She steadied her thoughts before they spiraled farther out and gave the ball an underhand toss.

"Chimchar, go." A tan and orange furred chimp appeared, a small flame immediately lighting on its backside. The Chimchar was crouched as it yawned, revealing a set of sharp looking fangs, and then it looked up at her with brown eyes that held an unexpected amount of focus. She bent on one knee as it stood a little taller, a few inches taller than the Piplup was. "H-hello." It cocked its head to the side and approached, momentarily walking on its knuckles for more stability. She swallowed hard, the only outward reaction to the churning sensation in her stomach. Why was she so nervous? She froze when it reached a hand out...and tugged on her scarf, chattering. She held her arm out in return, and Chimchar climbed up so fast that she could barely jerk from the sudden motion and weight. It settled on her shoulder, examining her hat. Was that a sign they were okay for now? "Hm…"

"Look at that, you made a friend," Barry said. He already had his Piplup in his arms, and it seemed pleased with his treatment. "C'mon, let's spread out first!" They moved farther away from the gate, not wanting to attract attention from anything that lived close by town. Creating an influx of wild Pokémon for the police to handle wouldn't be fun. Barry was about 30 feet away, a good distance for a low stakes battle. Their starter Pokémon were small and not very strong yet, so she wasn't afraid of getting caught in the middle.

"Chimchar, let's battle," Dawn said in a clear tone. The Pokémon on her shoulder paused and turned its attention to where she was pointing. Most Pokémon weren't fully capable of understanding human speech, even if they could read your intentions and emotional state well enough, but they could be taught a variety of commands. Pokéball technology helped greatly with their learning process, able to teach the most basic word cues while the Pokémon was inside. The healing machines in Pokemon Centers used the ball's complex electronic systems to heal Pokemon in the same way, directly interfacing with their bodies. Technical Machines could be downloaded and taught in the same way, applying moves to a Pokémon that they might not be capable of naturally picking up. Some moves were so strong, complex, or secret that they still needed to be taught in the real world by skilled tutors. Chimchar hopped back down, landing on the grass a few feet in front of her.

"I choose you, Piplup!" Barry set it down, and Piplup waddled up to face them. Definitely not the cowardly type, then. "Let's agree to stop when they get tired. I don't want them to get too banged up before we even leave Twinleaf."

"That's fair," she said with a short nod. Now what commands did this Chimchar know so far? Having a Pokédex or a computer synced to its ball would be nice right now, but she'd have to go off her memory. "Chimchar, Scratch." Her Pokémon narrowed its eyes at Piplup, and after pumping itself up with a few deeper grunts, lunged at the opponent.

"D-dodge and Pound back!" Barry stammered out. She'd caught him off guard, but it wouldn't last long. Piplup nearly fell backwards getting away from the swipe of her starter's sharp nails, and then followed up with a hard slap of its stubby wing. Chimchar reeled from the hit, and then recovered. "You could've warned me!" Dawn gave him a half smile.

"Sorry. Chimchar, Scratch again." Chimchar rushed forward, but this time she had it continue attacking. Barry commanded Piplup to dodge and counterattack, but Piplup was only fast enough to escape before the next hand swung for it. Now she was getting somewhere. Barry frowned.

"Two can play at that game. _Bubble_!" Wait, it knew a water type move already? Piplup stood still and received a rake across the chest for its troubles, but then it sucked in a breath and expelled a haze of bubbles from its beak. Chimchar hopped backwards to avoid the worst of it without Dawn needing to say something, but as they popped, Chimchar was caught in the painful bursts of water. "Ha ha, got ya! Let's keep going!" Her eyes widened as the Piplup breathed in again, and she hurried her next order out.

"Ember!" Dawn didn't even know if he knew that move, but the bundle of flames behind Chimchar swelled, and then it spat burning shards of flames into the approaching attack. They cancelled out as the bubbles popped against the Ember, doing effectively no damage. "How did you know that'd even work?" she asked Barry.

"I didn't, just thought it'd be a useful move to have." He really was unbelievable at times.

"Right, of course. Go in and Scratch again." Chimchar shook off the lingering discomfort and ran at the Piplup.

"Growl!" Just before the attack connected, Piplup made an aggressive honking sound, causing Chimchar to flinch and graze it with its claws. "Too close…"

"Ember!" Without even backing up, Chimchar shot a burst of fiery darts out. Piplup was singed and fell on its backside. Barry countered with a Bubble that Chimchar was clipped by when Dawn ordered it to back off. Both Pokémon seemed on their last legs now. Their trainers locked eyes.

"Pound!"

"Scratch!" Their two Pokémon steeled their bodies and slammed into each other, though when they broke apart, it was Piplup that was dizzy from the last painful blow.

"...Dang, you got us," Barry admitted with a sigh, pulling his Pokéball out. "Return, you did a good job." A red beam caught Piplup and broke it into energy, storing it away. Chimchar looked a little less worse for wear, but not by much.

"Good job, Chimchar." Dawn returned it as it looked back at her with a toothy grin. "That's one point to me."

"Aw come on, we don't have licenses yet! That win doesn't count."

"Sure it doesn't." Dawn minimized the Pokéball and tucked it into her dress pocket. "We should get back home and work on our emails."

And have an unexpected talk with her mother. She had one month to get herself ready for whatever Professor Rowan wanted from them. There was so much research to do.


	2. Route 201,The First Steps

**Chapter 2:** _Route 201, The First Steps_

Dawn didn't think her mother would take the idea of leaving Twinleaf so well, but then again, Johanna had been a roaming trainer long before she met Dawn's father. Or had they met before her contest career began? Either way, this was an expected part of growing up. Barry's mother cried about how fast they were moving, but even she agreed to it. Being entrusted with a Pokédex was an opportunity they couldn't possibly turn down, which was what they assumed was going to happen. Surely that was the task Professor Rowan had in mind, since catching and documenting Pokémon was the fastest way to get fresh data for the Sandgem Town lab.

After getting in contact with the Professor and filling out the info he needed, he was able to get their certifications approved. The school signed them up for next year's online classes, and then it was time to pack and prepare. Tents, extra clothes and shoes for different weather conditions, sturdy backpacks with lots of space, first-aid kits, preserved food and canteens, a paper and electronic set of maps, portable radios, and a nature guide. Dawn wanted to fit more books in, but she decided that it wasn't worth the extra weight. The internet would always be around as long as they were close to a city. There were many big cities and towns across Sinnoh, but eventually she and Barry were going to need to camp out on a route if a trip took more than a day. Camping around Twinleaf was a common activity in summer, but they'd never done it without an adult before, or deep in the woods.

And then there was getting used to her Pokémon. She hesitated to try any more real battles with Chimchar just yet, but she did connect its Pokéball to her computer to figure out exactly what it had been taught. Pokéballs stored the vitals and mental data of the Pokémon assigned to them, electronically tracking their skills and physical traits in the form of "stats" to better monitor their health and training progress. The numbers weren't perfectly accurate, but it gave a good idea of their strengths and weaknesses at a glance. Pokéballs could also be used with learning programs to reinforce new lessons, like advanced trainer commands. As useful as it might be, it was still frowned upon to leave all your Pokémon's training to a machine. Not only did it feel culturally wrong, but it weakened the trust between trainer and partner that would be vital for winning tough battles or getting through a dangerous situation together.

The data revealed that Chimchar was male and still pretty new to battling, as expected. His agility was a bit higher than the average at the cost of a weaker resistance to energy-based attacks. That worked out well with what their evolutions were naturally proficient at. Being quick and hitting hard.

Dawn wasted no time in reading up on the Chimchar line She had to work on how to bring the best out of him. Maybe she wasn't that great at _feeling_ what a Pokémon wanted, but she could gather as much information on them available and come to her own conclusions. Some would call it "obsessive" or "unnecessary work" but she considered it the cost of being truly prepared. There was no such thing as going overboard if she wanted to become a high ranking trainer.

There turned out to be a massive amount of things to look at, which shouldn't have surprised her, but it was still a daunting number to sort through. She found videos of their behavior in the wild (or at least in designated nature preserves) and in zoos, online guides for raising them in the competitive circuit (which she bookmarked for later), the battle techniques they naturally favored as they matured, some science journals on how their flames functioned compared to other Fire-types, theories and tests results on how intelligent they were, and even some Pokémon League footage of highly rated battles. It was fascinating, and she and Barry even traded a few Gym Battle clips in their excitement.

Her Chimchar, who unfortunately didn't have a name of his own yet, knew Scratch, Ember, and Leer. When he grew a little more, she could teach him some Dark and Fighting-type moves too. She already saw potential in practicing a Taunt command. Baiting the opponent's Pokémon to become overaggressive could let them manipulate a battle's flow. And she knew that Chimchar had a lot of adaptability when it came to TM usage, covering a variety of their natural type weaknesses. Once he became a Monferno and then an Infernape, Rock-types wouldn't be much of a threat, but then Psychic attacks would become an even larger issue. Well trained Psychic-types were just hard to handle in general unless you had a Dark or Bug-type on hand.

Dawn had some ideas of what she wanted to teach him listed in a notepad, but for now, she focused on movement drills. She took Chimchar out into the yard and just let him climb the trees and jump between them. He was good at that, and she wanted to use his instincts to their advantage. The first step was to get him to dodge attacks without her input. Trainers have had their Pokémon learn to do it before, and it freed up the time to think of other commands. Some Pokémon were taught the opposite, standing their ground and bracing themselves instead, but they were usually considered "tanks" and had high stamina. Their natural defenses allowed them to recover fast and deliver a strong counterattack. Barry's Piplup, now called Tenno, might be a good candidate for that once it evolved a couple of times, but Chimchar wasn't going to be anywhere near that sturdy.

She collected a few foam balls from the toy store and tossed them at Chimchar, accompanying it with the command to dodge. Every time he hopped out of the way, she gave him a berry. Soon, she stopped speaking and only rewarded him when he took the initiative and dodged by himself. That took a few tries to sink in, but once he grasped what the point of the game was, he didn't stumble again. Only time would tell if he'd do it with Pokémon attacks, but they'd soon find out. Then she spent the rest of the month getting him to climb on command.

"Chimchar, Up!" Dawn pointed at the tree trunk. He blinked, glancing behind him. "Hm…" Dawn scooped him up and set him on the trunk, letting him cling to it. "Up. See?" After a moment, he started shuffling up. "Good boy." Barry was already urging Tenno to swim laps in the pond, doing races and baiting him around with food to help him maneuver in the water. But how to get Chimchar to move in the direction she asked for? Getting into the tree with him was pretty dangerous, since he could climb much higher than her and she would break something if she fell out. She eventually dug around in her room until she unearthed a toy slingshot. It took a couple of days to aim, but she was then able to fling rocks at the spot she wanted Chimchar to go, linking it with a direction. It was all still a messy work in progress when the day came for her and Barry to set off to Sandgem Town.

"Please call me when you get through Route 201," her mother said at the breakfast table. Chimchar was out of his ball for the morning, eating a fruit next to Glameow's food bowl. Dawn wasn't really hungry, but she attributed that to her own racing thoughts. She forced the eggs down anyway, not wanting to be tired or hungry too soon. "And stay as close to the main path as possible! No straying off into the deep woods."

"Mhmm." She poked the bits of food around her plate for a bit, listening to the news playing on the living room television. Something about the Sinnoh Champion doing research on the region's unique mythology. She was burning time until Barry texted her he was done getting ready.

"Oh, and your father called back last night after I told him about your trip." Dawn looked up.

"...What did he say?"

"He was surprised you were leaving this early, but he thinks it's good that you have your own Pokémon. He hopes that you might run into each other on the road." Her mother frowned. "Perhaps you can call him while you're away and arrange a meeting?" Her mouth felt strangely dry, and she sipped on her glass of orange juice. She hadn't seen him in person for a few years now, besides cut and dried video calls. It was easier to do his job if he didn't repeatedly come back to Twinleaf, and the nearest big city he had business in was Oreburgh. It all just felt awkward, like neither of them wanted to be there.

"I'll...think about it." Dawn took the smile she received as a good sign. She didn't get enjoyment out of making her stressed, but it was hard to fake wanting to talk to him.

"That's all I can ask."

Her cell phone buzzed on the table, and Dawn skimmed the screen before grabbing it as she stood up. It was time to head out.

"Chimchar, come on," she said, pulling out and expanding his Pokéball. He chattered and ran over to her. "We're going out for a while." He gave her a wide eyed look, and stayed still as he was hit with the ball's red capture beam. She clipped the ball to her new belt in time to get pulled into a hug. She really should have seen that coming. "...I'll be alright." Dawn patted her on the back.

"Yes, I know you will. You have a good Pokémon with you and you're very responsible for your age. Just...keep an eye on Barry too."

"I thought that went without saying." Her mother ruffled her hair before letting Dawn go.

"See? Very responsible. Now hurry before he leaves you behind again." After saying goodbye, Dawn pulled on her white and pink beanie hat and walked outside, following the road back to the old gate. Barry was already tapping his foot by the edge of the grass when she arrived. He had a heavy-duty backpack too, and a new set of sneakers. Probably built for running, which was the only speed he liked to travel at. Maybe he'd take it easy on her today and just jog for a while.

"You almost owed me another ten thousand bucks, Dawn," he said, looking up from his phone. "Me and Tenno are ready to go!" He was about to take his first step onto Route 201, but then paused and looked back. "Hey, did you ever figure a name out for your Chimchar?"

"Oh...not yet."

"We can't leave if you didn't even name your starter. Come on, at least try!" She'd been thinking for a while, but she felt like she had so much time to pick a fitting one. And now that she was actually leaving… Dawn stared up at the sky. The sun was already climbing, the clouds white and sparse. Another summer day, a good day to start something new.

"I'll call him Hiru." It went well with Dawn, a continuation of the sun's movement. It sounded like progression.

* * *

They started their trek down the flat dirt path together, silent as the comforting sounds of Twinleaf Town faded. The terrain grew more hilly the deeper they went, but still not too hard to navigate. They shoved their way past the shrubs that grew over their path, Dawn being a little more careful not to scrape up her legs in the process. Soon, they hit a worn down, but still maintained sign post that marked a split in the road. The Pokémon League had workers that did their best to make sure all the directional route signs were in place and readable to minimize lost trainers. East was the way to Sandgem Town, and West would lead to Lake Verity.

"Hm…you know we could check the lake out now if we wanted to," Barry said. That way he was talking marked another risky idea in the making. "The lake spirit stories always made me wonder if we've got a Legendary Pokémon right outside our town! Wouldn't it be cool to catch a glimpse?" She wasn't against the idea of seeing something truly rare and mysterious, but...for some reason, it just didn't feel right. She'd been to the lake before, and nothing much happened. If no one had located the lake spirit by now, wasn't that a sign that it just wasn't there? What were the odds of two kids being the ones to get lucky and not the researchers with thousand dollar equipment on hand?

"It's probably just rumors. Went there before. Not too special."

"Oh yeah, your parents took you a long time ago…" Barry thought to himself. "Maybe we can ask Professor Rowan about it? He's supposed to know a lot about Sinnoh, he could tell us if the rumors are true."

"It can't hurt, I guess."

"Alright then, onward!" Barry jogged on the eastern path, Dawn keeping a slower pace behind him. Even if he'd moved on from the lake, she did remember _something_ odd about the last time she'd been there.

She'd been about five at the time, and her father was just about to start his new job. He had the idea of taking the family on one last trip together before he left. His Charizard and Jolteon were out with them, watching for wild Pokémon as the rest of them ate lunch. It was where he'd broken the news to her. Dawn hadn't taken it well, and she ran off by herself. She didn't exactly recall what happened before she woke up in a tangle of bushes with her father's partners beside her. He must've ordered them to keep going when he lost track of her in the woods. She'd felt...calm. Much calmer than the crying mess she'd been minutes before. Her parents took her home, and her mother never talked much about the lake again.

Dawn was numb for a few months after that, but eventually she recovered from what the doctors could only assume was a sort of trauma combined with separation anxiety. She was physically fine, but her emotions felt like they were behind a thick glass barrier. They were less of a pain to deal with that way, though people did give her odd looks at times. Yet she never considered it much of a detriment. It was much harder for her to get distracted or get caught in the heat of the moment. A perfect mindset for a trainer.

They never did find out what happened at Lake Verity, but Dawn also didn't care to investigate the incident much. Life continued regardless, and she adjusted to it.

"Dawn, look!" Barry's yell forced her to catch up, and she skidded to a stop to find… a small gathering of brown and peach, buck-toothed rodents by a creek in the distance.

"Barry, that's a pack of Bidoof." Not interesting in the slightest. A few waded around in the slow moving water while another gnawed on a fallen tree. The ones around here were pretty docile, so Dawn didn't feel the need to bring out Chimchar. Most Bidoof had a sort of oblivious attitude unless directly threatened. "We had one living under the school's dumpster."

"Phil doesn't count, he's all...docile. Pretty sure a trainer just abandoned him in town. These are wild!"

"Well, we can't catch anything until we buy more balls, so we're at an impasse." Technically, they could have a few by mail since Twinleaf Town didn't sell them locally, but neither trainer wanted to be tempted to get a head start on their collections. It was fairer if they waited until after they received their assignment from the professor.

"Not everything's about catching stuff, Dawn! Being a trainer is about…" Barry curled his hand into a fist and closed his eyes, "The _journey_. Since you're not gonna send anything home until someone asks, I'm taking a picture."

"As long as we make it to the laboratory before the sun sets." He grinned and pulled his phone out. Dawn leaned against a tree while he tried to get the perfect Bidoof photo. She could sort of appreciate what he was going for. For the first time in their lives, they were out in the wild. Not quite uncharted territory, but not civilization either. Dawn was very aware of how the media romanticized trainers' journeys to be this idealistic adventure that changed people's lives, and yet just standing here on Route 201, with nothing but themselves and Pokémon to rely on… Everything from the rustling of leaves to the sounds of wildlife took on a greater meaning. She understood why he was excited over relatively mundane things like a Bidoof or two. A sharp, ear grating call pierced the woods, making her wince. That was a less than ideal sound.

"Aw…" Barry stood up from his crouch and frowned as the startled Bidoof fled to the stream for safety. "Well, one picture's better than nothing. What's up with these Starly today?"  
"Probably a territory fight, we should stay on guard"- A burst of movement silenced her as two grey blurs flew close by, forcing her back a step. They were too late to escape the birds' attention, then. Unfortunate.

"Guess we've just gotta scare them off!" Barry detached the Pokéball from his belt. "Tenno, time to battle!" His Piplup stood confidently after its release, no hesitation in its body language even as the wild Starly tried to dive bomb them again. It seemed to have a brave temperament to start with, and Barry would encourage it even more. Tenno let out a growl, sending the aggressive Pokémon momentarily off course. It bought enough time for her to help.

"Go, Chimchar," she said, sending out her starter. There was no point in trying the nickname now when she could properly get it registered later. She'd just confuse her Pokémon. Using fire in a forest wasn't ideal, but Dawn would have to make it work. Hiru took in the situation and tensed, standing in front of her as he bared his teeth. One Starly recovered from the scare and went for the Chimchar, flying low to get an attack in. Starly had pretty strong wings and a sharp beak, but that all required them getting in close, which meant… "Ember!" Hiru ducked under a wing swipe and launched burning sparks from his tail flame, earning a screech from his opponent. No time to dodge. All that speed meant nothing if they gave it no time to react. "Now Scratch!" The Starly recovered as Hiru tried to strike, escaping his range. That was fine, she wasn't trying to knock it out.

"Bubble!" Tenno fended off the other Starly with longer range bursts of water, letting out another growl whenever it dodged and got too close to Barry. Dawn positioned herself to cover Barry's back, Hiru following her as she continued to order carefully measured Ember attacks. Even so, they still burned the grass in a few places. The birds squawked and finally gave up, retreating into the treetops to nurse their minor wounds. "Ha, not so tough now!" He scooped up his Pokémon and pointed him at the ground. "Bubble." Tenno extinguished the lingering sparks, and Dawn gave them a nod.

"So that was our first encounter." Not life threatening, but more than enough to wake them up. Wild Pokémon generally didn't attack unless they were in a particular mood, and those tended to be the younger, less experienced ones. Older Pokémon kept to the more untamed parts of Sinnoh, though once in a while one would be lured out by a disturbance and cause problems. Small settlements like this didn't have many strong Pokémon around, but the bigger cities with many trainers passing through tended to draw in tougher ones looking for a challenge. A few immature birds weren't going to hurt them unless they were careless, but it did serve as a warning to never completely drop their guard.

"It was a piece of cake," Barry said as she checked Hiru's body for wounds. Nothing more serious than minor bruising from being hit with a few Tackles, as far as she could tell. She withdrew him to rest. Tenno chirped and kicked its feet, earning a head scratch before returning to its ball. Dawn could tell his hands were a little shaky, but refrained from mentioning it. "It's kinda wild to think the same Pokémon we see around town could get like that though," he laughed as the tension drained from. "It felt like we were in a TV show, but...this is what being trainers is like." She watched his expression, trying to figure out what was really going on in his head.

"Are you scared now?"

"Huh? No, of course not!" He shook his head and looked steadier. "If I can't handle this, then...I don't deserve to see the Battle Tower, you get what I mean?"

"Yeah, I do." They had goals, and neither of them would give in before they had a chance to pursue it. No matter what happened.

"Besides, now I really wanna catch a Starly for myself. I gotta start building a team for Roark!" Dawn kept up with him as they continued on, slowing down to avoid bothering even more Pokémon.

"I think I'll pass on a Starly for now. You have your Piplup, but I don't have an advantage on Rock-types." That was going to be an issue. Oreburg was a good distance away, with Sandgem and Jubilife between them, but eventually she would need a plan to take on the Gym challenge. She should have looked up the most common Pokémon in the area to plan her captures out. "Well, unless Hiru becomes a Monferno by then."

"What, you're gonna train him until he evolves? That might take a while. Kind of a slow method…" AKA a method that Barry had no interest in. Not that she blamed him, it did sound tedious compared to training up a second or third Pokémon. And even on the off chance she did trigger an evolution, Hiru would need to adjust for a short while, which put off her Gym challenge even more. It shouldn't be her Plan A. "I'm sure there's good Pokémon to rely on around here. The 'Dex has habitat zones programmed into it, right? Should be easy going."

The forest surrounding their path thinned out, and a larger, seaside town sprawled out downhill from them. The air smelled faintly of salt, even from here. She and Barry escaped the last of the bushes and switched to a sidewalk next to a well maintained road leading into Sandgem Town.

"Hey, I think that's the lab!" Barry pointed out a large log cabin structure with various metal extensions attached to it. The strange building sat at the edge of a well maintained grass field, and even from their distance they could tell that Pokémon were inhabiting it.

"Impressive…" Dawn stopped and observed what might have been the dancing flames of a Ponyta running laps, along with the hulking grey form of a Rhyhorn elsewhere.

"Over here!" A familiar boy stood by the metal signpost marking the Sandgem Town limits, waving to get their attention.

"Oh it's that guy from before." Barry frowned. "Uh...what did he say his name was?"

"Lucas," Dawn said.

"The professor sent me to make sure you made it to the lab," he explained once the pair reached him. He adjusted his hat and tucked his hands in his pockets with the air of someone that didn't want to be here. What was that about? "Come on, I'll take you there." Lucas turned and headed down the street, and a flash of sunlight reflecting off his bag strap grabbed her attention. He had a Pokéball too, now. One with a distinct leaf mark on it.


	3. Sandgem Town

**Sandgem Town:** _Connected to the Sea._

It was a nicer sign than Twinleaf's, Dawn noted. They bothered to use something sturdier than wooden planks, and it caught the light well enough to even be readable after dark. The whole town was just sort of...Twinleaf but bigger. More polished. There were flat plots of farmland on the outskirts, but the farther in Lucas led them, the more modern Sandgem became. Smoother, dark grey streets with bright yellow traffic lines. Bigger houses with stone and metal gates protecting them. Outlet malls selling imported goods from the nearby port, where a few ships were visible in the distance. Cars and motorcycles were more commonplace, forcing them to use the pedestrian light signals to find an opening in traffic.

And actual Pokémon trainers. Not just kids running around with whatever their parents got them, but trainers that traveled and fought serious battles. Rookies like her and Barry were packed to the brim with gear, but these people had their equipment well used and optimized. No overloaded backpacks and every medicine sold online. Just whatever they needed to get to the next destination in one piece. It must've been the lab that drew them to this part of Sinnoh...

"They've got a Pokémart," Barry said under his breath, elbowing her gently. Dawn looked away from the two older teenagers near a fishing store, enthusiastically comparing their Toxicroak and Golduck's skills. She had so much work to do before she'd be a match for either of them. She knew that Gym Leaders didn't go all out on people with no badges, but now she began to wonder if just watching some matches would be enough to make a good plan for beating them.

"Huh? Oh, they do…" In between a deli store and an office building was a white building with a distinct blue rooftop. Pokémarts were a League-funded chain of Pokémon product retailers, selling medical and travelling supplies at a flat rate across the region. Every Mart had roughly the same look, just like the red roofed Pokémon Centers, for easy identification. Other businesses were not allowed to copy the design.

"Oh yeah, I forgot that they didn't expand past Sandgem yet," Lucas said, stopping across the street from the Mart. Some excitement returned to his eyes for a few seconds before clouding over again. What was that about? "You can get Pokéballs and your basic medical sprays in there, but the clerks don't sell the high quality, really expensive stuff until you have badges or the right kind of license." All Trainer Licences were ranked by badge numbers, which roughly marked a person's skill with handling Pokémon. Rangers, Medics, Researchers, and League Members had separate, much harder to acquire licences that allowed them to purchase whatever quality of equipment they deemed necessary. Barry was doing a decent job of keeping himself somewhat calm. He hadn't sprinted off yet.

"At least we can stock up for some catches. How close are we to the lab?" Ah, right. He didn't know where to bolt to.

"Up this next street." Lucas turned a corner, and the Sandgem Town Laboratory instantly came into view. A semi-busy Pokécenter was at the bottom of the sloped road leading to the lab's double doors.

"You two can stay there for the night if you want, I'm sure the professor can get you a couple of beds booked once he's talked to us." Wait, us? Dawn hesitated before following Lucas and Barry up the hill.

The building itself was more intimidating as they approached, the three story metal section looming above the wooden front area. Lucas pulled out an ID card on a lanyard string and lifted it to a scanner. A soft click marked the security lock disengaging, and the doors swung open. The foyer was fairly busy, half full with people. There was a front desk manned by an older receptionist, covered in pamphlets about the lab's research and trainer programs. A few tables were scattered around a more open part of the entranceway. The bookshelves lining the walls turned it into more of a makeshift library for the lab workers and anyone else with permission to enter the building, though Dawn didn't think any of the texts could be borrowed. One corner was taken over by what looked like a news crew, talking to themselves, while a few more were claimed by a visiting group of school kids, reading through. They looked around ten, so maybe it was a class for trainers?

"This part of the lab's where all the public resources are kept," Lucas explained. "Meetings and private classes use the side rooms. And over here…" He cut across the foyer to a second set of metal doors. They looked almost as thick as the wall and were designed to slide apart based on the groove in the floor. "This is where the research is done. Well, here and out in the back fields. All the data processing machines and Dex servers are kept on site." When the professor added newly obtained information to the main server, it was sent out to all linked devices as a downloadable patch, allowing rapid updates across the region without having to release new hardware. Lucas showed his ID card to a second scanner, and the internal lock took its time to disengage. It sounded pretty complex just by the multiple clicks and the compressed air that hissed out at the edges. That was some serious security...

"So uh…what's your deal?" Barry asked him. A light above them illuminated, and the inner lab doors eased open.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Lucas said. Dawn's foot tapped on the ground. Couldn't they save this for later?

"You keep looking at us like we ruined your day. You've got some kind of beef just because we're not from here"-

"Huh? No, I just…" Lucas rubbed the back of his neck and looked at the patterns on the long rug covering the wood flooring. "It's personal stuff. Sorry if you thought I was mad at you." As soon as the doors were clear Dawn took the lead for once, if only to end the conversation she had no interest in. The two boys were forced to keep up or risk being locked out again.

Unlike the almost warm decor of the front half, the back part of the lab was a sterile white and gray. The polished tile floor made every step they took stand out, and the ceilings were much higher. There were far less people in here, and all of them wore white coats and varying levels of protective equipment on.

Sturdy, hard topped metal desks with outlets built into the sides served as work-spaces. Rolling whiteboards, bulletin boards and filing cabinets created mini office spaces for individual research work. Slim desktop computers connected to wall mounted screens that displayed important information like experiment schedules, test results, and live footage of different subjects. One of them had a Pikachu hooked up to a voltage machine as it ran on a small treadmill, recording its fluctuating electric output. Other screens had Pokémon data taken from a scanned ball, and scientists compared the numbers to the current averages.

"Ah, Lucas!" Professor Rowan's voice echoed across the entire space, startling all three of them. "Good, you brought them. Your father and I just finished the Dex sync." A younger man with dark hair and a pair of spectacles was in the middle of placing three devices on a nearby table. A few people looked up from their work as the trainers walked by. As soon as they were close enough, Dawn recognized the red and black mini computers. This Dex model functioned like a laptop, able to flip open and shut on a thick hinge to protect the internal screens. She'd only seen them in pictures or videos before. The new Dex models were way too expensive for anyone to just purchase on a whim.

"Holy crap, we're really allowed to take those…" Barry said, openly staring. Lucas shushed him.

"Your dad works here?" Dawn asked him. That explained why someone his age was so familiar with Professor Rowan.

"Yeah, it's kind of...a family thing?" He looked embarrassed for some reason.

"You can call me Dr. Acord," the man said with a soft smile. "I handle the Pokédex's hardware and software components. If you have any issues with your devices, just bring them back here for repair."

"I do believe we're getting ahead of ourselves." Professor Rowan cut in. "Before I formally extend my request…" His gaze cut through them with the intensity of an expectant teacher. "Dawn Hidaka, Barry Seiji. I'm interested in seeing how those Pokémon are doing after a month in your care. You too, Lucas."

"U-uh, yes Sir!" Lucas hurried to unclip his ball from his belt and expanded it. Barry was much more relaxed as he summoned his Piplup.

"Tenno, show your stuff!" The flash of light faded, and Tenno's chest puffed up in anticipation of a fight. "No battle right now, buddy." He deflated a little and started preening.

"Hiru, go!" Her Chimchar shook himself out and leapt onto her shoulder, putting her a little off balance. That seemed to be his favorite spot so far.

"Come out, Terra!" Dawn and Barry watched as Lucas finally revealed his Pokémon.

"Oh, so that's where the Turtwig went," she mumbled. It was a green and beige, stubby legged turtle with a dark brown shell of dirt, about as big as the other two starters. Its two standout points were the sprout on its head and its rather large jaw size. It could deliver a pretty nasty bite if it felt threatened, but the Turtwig just turned around and began nibbling on Lucas's pants leg. He sighed, but didn't make a move to stop Terra from chewing happily. He must be used to it.

"As energetic as ever," Rowan said, apparently satisfied with his observations. "Entrusting you with them was no mistake, it seems!" Maybe being a professor for so long made it easy to tell how much a Pokémon developed at a glance. He picked up a Pokédex and clicked a button on the side, causing it to open. The lens built into the back of it expanded and scanned as Rowan swept it past the three starter Pokémon. It gave a short beep when it was done, and he shut the device again. "As you're all probably aware, I haven't been in the Sinnoh region for half a decade now. Because of my travels, my information is severely out of date. To rectify this, I've decided to start up the Sinnoh Pokédex Project once again. I will need the assistance of young trainers like yourselves to gather fresh, objective data." Rowan handed the first Pokédex to Dawn, and then gave Barry and Lucas the other two. It was...lighter than she thought it'd be, about the weight of a large cell phone. "I would like you to travel across the region and scan as many native Sinnoh Pokémon as possible. If you can capture and send them back to the lab, that would be even more appreciated. Do you three agree to this deal?"

"You got it, Professor!" Barry said, once again fired up. Dawn settled on a nod. Lucas hesitated.

"...Is this the assignment you had in mind for me?" he asked, staring at his new Dex.

"Ah, actually I do have a more _specific_ task in your case." Rowan picked up a notebook from a work desk and offered it to Lucas. The cover had Pokémon Evolution printed on it in a bold marker. "As we discussed earlier, I believe that all researchers should spend some time doing field work before committing to a career choice. Think of it as a final test of your skills. You will take what you've learned aiding our experiments and apply it outside the confines of a lab."

"But you're already the leading expert on evolutionary theories, professor!"

"That is true, but sometimes experience in a field blinds you to new discoveries. You begin to cling to your own theories and any evidence that supports them. Someone like you has the untapped potential to make another breakthrough in the field." To Dawn's surprise, Rowan smiled through his thick mustache. "Ignore my conclusions on the subject of evolution, and seek out your own answers alongside your Turtwig. Document your findings in that notebook and bring it back to me when you've the time."

"So you really want me to leave…" Lucas didn't seem excited about the prospect. What made him want to stay in Sandgem? Didn't he find it boring here after a while?

"Wait, who doesn't wanna leave home and go on a cool journey?" Barry asked. "I mean...there's a whole world out there and you've got the perfect excuse to go wherever you want!"

"Look, I've got no interest in battling. I never wanted to go on a big trip to "find myself". I just wanna study Pokémon!" Oh. Well, that was the first time she heard anyone her age reject the idea of becoming a travelling trainer. Was it a more common sentiment than she first thought? Barry was stunned enough to go silent for once.

"How about the three of you travel together, Lucas?" Dr. Acord cut in with a weak laugh. "That's always safer than going at it alone. You don't have to climb Mt. Coronet or anything that extreme, but at least...travel to Jubilife City and see how you feel then." Lucas opened his mouth to respond, and then sighed and shook his head.

"That's reasonable, I guess." He took a few seconds to recompose himself before facing Professor Rowan. "I apologize for the outburst. Thank you for the opportunity, Sir." The professor nodded.

"Now that that's been settled, the two of you should rest for the day. It's much too late to leave town anyway. I've arranged some housing at the Pokécenter under your names."

* * *

The sun was completely set by the time they left the lab, making Dawn appreciate how close the Pokémon Center was since the streetlights hadn't kicked in yet. Lucas didn't meet up with them, but since he lived in Sandgem he didn't really need to use the Center's facilities. While the first floor contained the lobby, healing equipment, and free computer terminals, the top floor was a lounge, a small cafeteria, and a few sets of dorm rooms. They weren't flashy, but everything was clean and in working order.

"I can't believe he said all that junk in front of Professor Rowan!" Barry dropped his backpack on the floor of their room for the night and threw himself on the bottom bunk bed. The top one was hers, then. Dawn set her own pack down beside it and sat down in a chair, pulling out her Dex. Hiru immediately jumped to the ladder and swung on it, chattering to himself. Tenno managed to flap its little wings hard enough to get onto the bed with an undignified jump. He rubbed Piplup's head. "It's weird, right? How can you work in a cool Pokémon lab and not wanna go on a journey? Makes no sense. I'd go crazy if I was stuck in one town my whole life."

"...Maybe he has his reasons." Barry sat up and stared at her until she looked back at him. "What?"

"Aren't you the one that thought Twinleaf was boring? I mean, you wanna catch up with your dad, and he's always traveling." She frowned and went back to looking up Shinx habitats. She should make a list of what to buy before hiking Route 202 tomorrow.

"Of course. I just thought Lucas had an interesting opinion compared to everyone at home. I'm curious about why that is."

"Yeah, but...but he clearly isn't prepared to leave, so if he sticks with us, he'll drag us down! We don't have time to mess around if we wanna get our badges as fast as possible." He jumped to his feet and struck a pose, pointing at an old Sinnoh League poster taped to the wall. "Remember the plan? Barry and Dawn, from the middle of nowhere, blowing all the Gym Leaders outta the water. Just like Cynthia did!"

A girl from the nearly forgotten Celestic Town, a settlement steeped in history at the eastern base of the Coronet mountain range. Champion at age 15 after obtaining a Pokédex from Professor Rowan almost ten years ago. Everyone from Sinnoh that didn't live under a rock knew the story. A trainer that could analyze and craft a winning strategy against any opponent she observed. She still hadn't been defeated in a League-sanctioned match. Her record since conquering the Elite Four was spotless. There were very few people that Dawn idolized, but Champion Cynthia was one of them. That Garchomp was terrifying to watch in motion, not to mention the rest of her highly polished team.

"...Think of it this way, Barry. Lucas knows more Pokémon biology than we do if we just relied on the internet. That could be an asset when we're trying to capture something. Or training for battles. Knowing how a Pokémon functions in great detail could give us a massive advantage."

"Huh. Okay, maybe he's not dead weight." Barry sat back down on the bed, taking his time to think. Truly a rare event. "...You're not trying to justify us traveling with him because you've got a crush, right?" Dawn almost dropped her Dex. She set it on the desk and gave Barry a blank stare in response.

"No." He laughed at her reaction.

"That's what I thought. Just checking though." He sighed. "I'll give him a week before I judge him, alright?"

"That sounds reasonable." Dawn stood up and stretched. "I'm going downstairs to make a call. You should think about what to get at the Mart tomorrow."

"Oh yeah, I need Starly bait! And more Water-type kibble! Aw man, is there any paper in here?" Back to the old, last minute Barry...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hopefully they'll get going to Jubilife in the next chapter, but I thought I should get this out for now.


	4. Through Route 202

Dawn was relieved that she brought up the possibility of travelling far from home with her mother weeks ago, or her call last night would have gone on for much longer than necessary. She always planned on going wherever the Gym badges led her, but now she was a couple years ahead of schedule. Her mother wasn't surprised to hear she was tasked with a long term Pokédex assignment.

"I understand that you and Barry don't want to let the professor down, but don't push yourselves too hard," she had said to Dawn. "You don't need to rush from place to place or put yourself in dangerous spots to be good trainers. It's good that you have a group of three now, but act smart and safe when you're in between cities. If you're hesitant about a situation, follow your instincts."

"Right. No running into trouble on purpose."

"And make sure you have a good stock of medical supplies. Your Pokémon can't protect you if you don't take care of them."

"We'll pick up some more tomorrow."

"I'm going to transfer some more money into your account since I know those first few weeks are the hardest to adjust to"-

"Mom." Johanna paused. "It's getting kind of late, but I'll call you tomorrow night when we settle in Jubilife City. I promise."

After tactfully not commenting on her mother tearing up, she headed back upstairs to recall her Pokémon and crashed on her bed. Perhaps the excitement of being a trainer on an actual mission drained her more than she thought.

Dawn snapped awake with a short gasp when a loud, insistent beeping filled the room. The Pokécenter alarm was almost painful to be subjected to, and she threw her covers off and climbed down to shut it up. 7 AM, huh? Barry must've set it, but his bunk was already abandoned. Dawn rubbed the sleep out of her eyes as her mind caught up with her body. The running faucet in the bathroom told her where Barry went. Instead of bothering him for a turn, she took the chance to wake up Hiru and change into a fresh set of travelling clothes. Hiru decided to pounce on the still napping Tenno while Dawn was occupied, and they wrestled until the water suddenly shut off.

"Oh you're up!" Barry stuck his head out the doorway, a toothbrush hanging out his mouth. At least he was dressed too. "They're serving breakfast already, so we can eat and then head to the store after!"

"Sounds good. Just...give me a couple minutes first when you're done in there." If they were a few years younger, she would have just barged in and commandeered the sink, but they both had a little more modesty now.

"Fine, I can wait for you…"

Repacking their bags and tidying up was a quick task after only spending a night in the room, and they headed for the small cafeteria together. It was already occupied by a handful of trainers, but Dawn still spotted an open table they could grab if they were fast enough. The human food available was pretty simple. Cereal, eggs, bread, rice, tofu, bacon, pancakes, berries, yogurt. Options for vegetarians were incredibly common in Sinnoh, since many who actively practiced the Origin religion avoided meat products. Everything was laid out buffet style for people to line up with trays and serve themselves at their leisure. A cold section had bottled drinks for people to take with them outside the center if they felt like it.

The Pokémon section was newer to her. There were plastic bowls stacked up for use beside a wall of electronic "dry food" dispensers, and then a smaller serving table of berries, raw meat, bone, and fish bits. Processed Pokémon food looked like hard pellets that could be mixed with a liquid to make it wetter, and there was a specifically formulated kind for every type. Of course individual species benefited from a more personal diet, which usually meant adding other fresh ingredients, mixing kibble types, or even supplement pills. Serious Trainers did their best to create diet plans that matched their team's needs in order to be successful battlers. It was an expensive practice for a group of six mouths to feed, but that was the price to stay competitive. Pokémon that were kept as pets could survive fine off of the basic food though, which tended to be the cheapest option.

"Well look who's here…" Barry said, after topping a bowl of Water-type food with fish cuts. Dawn followed his gaze across the cafeteria and spotted Lucas as he approached. His Turtwig ran after him, and he had a sturdy backpack and hiking shoes with him today.

"Guess he's coming with us after all."

"Guess so. At least he's taking it seriously." They took their trays and met him at the empty table. Hiru and Tenno completely ignored the newcomer, focusing on emptying their food bowls as fast as possible.

"Oh good, I caught up with you," Lucas said. "The Professor wanted me to make sure you knew how to properly capture a Pokémon before we left town." Barry stopped shoving bacon into his mouth and gave him a strange look.

"Uh...I think we can throw a ball just fine. Everyone's used capsule tech before." Dawn nodded.

"Pokéballs aren't new to us." Lucas rubbed the back of his next and turned red.

"I mean, I know that but it's different when you're facing down a wild one! Besides, the Professor was adamant that I showed you the ropes. Just meet me at the edge of Route 202 when you're ready to go, okay? Let's go, Terra." He turned and went to pick up a can of juice before tucking his Turtwig under an arm and heading down the escalator. Barry shook his head before going back to his meal.

"...I still think he's kinda weird." Dawn finished her cereal bowl and patted his shoulder.

"Let's just humor him for now. Maybe you'll learn something."

After returning their Pokémon, Dawn and Barry left the Center and followed the local street signs to their next destination. The Pokémart was actually close to Route 202, which made sense to get the attention of the people trying to depart town. The blue-roofed store's entrance slid open for them automatically, revealing...what looked like a cross between a convenience store and a small supermarket.

Everything inside used the blue and white color scheme, from the floors to the shelves to the aprons the cashiers and stockers wore. It gave off a neat and uniform feel. Speakers around the store played an upbeat, wordless song that faded into the background nicely. The front counter had the smaller, frequently bought items stored behind it to deter stealing. The refrigerated section had a variety of drinks and cold treats, and the back shelves displayed resealable Pokémon food containers, freeze dried meals for Trainers, and camping equipment. The rest of the shelves had Pokémon themed books (both the fictional and non-fiction kinds), some well known magazines, supplementary training equipment, collars and harnesses, old fashioned nets, first aid kits, and a small selection of weather-proof clothing.

Barry grabbed a shopping basket from the stack by the door and went straight for the food section. Dawn took her time actually checking the other aisles instead of catching up with him. There was an entire little section on Electric-type care, and she stopped to check it out. A set of rubber lined work gloves would be helpful for handling a Shinx. And maybe a set of goggles. They lit up when they were threatened, didn't they? That could be an issue. She ended up buying a set of both items, and then picked up a small can of dried meat for bait and training. Barry was in the middle of deciding what size Flying-type food would fit in his bag better. Some extra food for his Piplup was already tossed into his basket, along with a small frisbee and a set of binoculars. Was that for training?

"Eh, Starly aren't that big, I'll get the small one for now…" he said. Dawn grabbed a pack for Fire-types and one for Electric. After double checking their first aid supplies and if their on the road food was still good, they went to the counter. After waiting behind an older woman cradling her pet Eevee, Dawn ended up leaving the store with a 10 Pokéball bundle, which came with a free Premier Ball, along with a small collection of potions, paralyze heals, awakenings, and antidote sprays. Barry bought a few less to budget his money a little more, but she doubted his mother would have been upset that he was purchasing too many healing products. They worked on humans too, making them twice as efficient.

The suburbs of Sandgem Town thinned out, giving way to empty fields and thick forests once again. They spotted Lucas crouched by the main walking path, looking intensely at something.

"Hey, whatcha doing?" Barry called. Lucus scrambled to his feet and shushed him. "Huh?" They jogged past the Route 202 sign to get a closer look.

"There's a Pokémon," he hissed, turning back to the woods. Wandering close to the dirt walkway was another Bidoof, diligently chewing at a half grown pine tree. Pretty similar to the ones by the river they saw yesterday. Maybe a little bigger?

"You're going to catch it?" Dawn asked. Lucas nodded and reached for his Turtwig's ball.

"As an example. Just, uh...pay attention to what I do." He lowered his stance and expanded the Pokéball in his hand. "First step in dealing with wild Pokémon: Don't go after one that won't stand its ground. And definitely don't chase them deeper into their natural habitat. A cornered Pokémon is both more aggressive and unpredictable, and they might be running towards a larger group. Follow me…" Lucas took slow, deliberate steps towards the Bidoof. Dawn and Barry took his cue and tried to stay quiet. Lucas hurled his Pokéball across the last bit of distance, bouncing it off the ground to open it. "Terra, go!" The Bidoof looked up in time to catch a hard tackle to the side, knocking it back. The Turtwig skidded to a clumsy stop and snapped its jaws. "Good girl. Tackle it again!"

The Bidoof stood up and bared its sharp buck teeth, throwing itself back into the fight. The two Pokémon slammed into each other, but Terra was a little more durable, shoving Bidoof off with little more than a scraped up shell. The Bidoof growled and paced, and Terra didn't approach again for a few seconds.

"Absorb!" Lucas commanded. His Turtwig dug her claws into the dirt and concentrated. The Bidoof suddenly cried out in pain as it glowed a light green. The energy drained into the grass and transferred to Terra, repairing her minor wounds. Lucas drew an empty Pokéball from a compartment in his bag and activated it. "You want it to be weak enough to look off balance or stunned. That's the best time to start throwing." The Bidoof did appear dazed, its legs shaking in exhaustion. He tossed the ball at it, drawing the wild Pokémon in with a red beam. The ball shut and landed on the ground, rocking back and forth about three times. Then it clicked shut and stilled. The Dex in Lucas's pocket dinged to announce newly acquired data. "There. It's even easier to catch one if you paralyze or put it to sleep, but wearing it down in general is enough."

"Alright, easy enough! Just fight em until they're almost knocked out, then catch em!" Barry said as Lucas retrieved the Bidoof. Terra yawned and went back to inspecting her trainer's pants leg. "Now I just gotta find the right Starly. See you up ahead!" Barry sprinted down the winding dirt road.

"Uh...is he going to be okay by himself?" Lucas asked, recalling his Turtwig.

"Maybe. I'm not supposed to let him go off on his own." Dawn released Hiru and let him perch on her shoulders again. "Shouldn't let him get too far. Come on." After playing with Barry for years, she learned to pace herself when chasing him. If she ran at top speed, she'd run out of breath long before he was done. Lucas was...a little less in shape, though he did manage to jog behind her with minimal gasping. The sounds of Sandgem Town faded away as they cut deeper into the woods. Route 202 was built into a steep hillside, and the path curved back and forth to make it easier to climb. The trees were left much closer together as a result, which was a purposeful design choice to keep the soil in place and prevent mudslides.

"I-I think I see him!" Lucas staggered to a stop and pointed out one of the larger trees. Barry had somehow climbed his way up to a low branch and was now using it as a vantage point. He had his binoculars pointed at an old log where multiple Starly pecked away at a very unnaturally placed sprinkling of dry food. A simple, yet effective lure trick. She would've done the same thing. Just...not put herself up a tree.

"I think he'll be there for a while." Which gave her time to search for her own catch. "Hey Lucas, how much do you know about the Pokémon around here?"

"Uh, I've been doing field observance with my dad for a few months now. I think I've taken notes on all the species native to the forests surrounding the lab."

"Alright, then I need you to tell me everything you know about wild Shinx."

* * *

Half an hour later, while Barry struggled to corner a Starly he wanted to add to his team, Dawn finished setting up a plate of meat rations while Lucas checked his Pokédex.

"And you're sure this will work?" she stood up and brushed the dirt off her knees.

"The Shinx line is the only carnivorous species in this area. Luxio and Luxray like to hunt live prey, so we should be safe. The older Shinx sometimes come out when the sun is higher." It was close to noon right now… Dawn backed away from the plate and crouched behind a large rock, Lucas trailing after her. Hiru was tucked away in a tree close by her trap, ready to strike. It'd taken a bit for him to figure out she wanted him to stay in place, but treats helped the process along. She took a deep breath and let it out, stilling any nerves she still had. Shinx still relied on their hearing over their eyesight, so… Dawn gripped a pebble hard in the palm of her hand and then tossed it at the plate, making a sharp sound. It echoed through the trees, followed by silence. And now they waited.

"What were you planning to do with that Bidoof?" Dawn asked, keeping her eyes on the plate.

"Huh? Oh, I intend to send it back to the lab for cataloging. There are certain Pokémon I want to catch and train to further my research, and Bidoof evolution is well studied already."

"They mature faster when in conflict or under stress, like the majority of Pokémon species." That was a basic fact Dawn learned in school. Trainers made them physically stronger, which triggered biological growth and eventually caused evolution to occur faster than a Pokémon left in the wild. Many studies claimed that a tame Pokémon was mentally sharper as well, picking up battle strategies, solving more complex problems, and understanding human language easier.

"Yes, but I want to study Pokémon that need other prerequisites to evolve, like certain stones, metals, man-made items, sexual dimorphism, environmental factors, training methods…" he listed them off like he had them memorized. He probably did. "Scientists are still figuring out why these factors are important to some species, and if those evolutions serve certain purposes in the wild." Even after over 40 years of studying and documenting Pokemon, there was always a new facet to explore, and the intimate details that triggered- or didn't trigger- evolutions was a near endless topic. "I'm probably going to start with an Abra, once we get to Jubilife"- A rustling in the bushes silenced him, and both teens stilled as a Shinx emerged.

It was roughly the size of a Chimchar but with a stockier build, covered in short blue and midnight fur. The star shape on the tip of its tail, the rings around its front legs, and the inner fur of its ears were a duller gold. Its eyes shone a brighter yellow, focused entirely on the plate of dried meat. The Shinx crept forward on light paws, driven by hunger yet still cautions. Dawn observed the wilder tufts of fur lining its lower jaw and the top of its head and marked it as an adolescent, old enough to leave its mother and safe to capture. This one was a young male, judging by the black back paws. Its ears twitched, and then the feline bowed its head to chew on the jerky.

"I'm going for it," Dawn whispered. She pulled an empty ball out of her bag and readied it. Once she saw her shot, she wasn't going to waste time setting up a throw. "Hiru!" she called, standing up suddenly. The Shinx startled and turned to face her, but the screeching of her Starter interrupted any further movement. The Chimchar dropped onto the wild Pokémon hard, knocking the wind out of it, and then got a few good scratches in before bouncing away. Lucas stayed put and called out his Turtwig for safety purposes, but Dawn took a step forward. The Shinx let out a sharp, high pitched cry, and then spat and hissed, its fur standing up as sparks danced across its fur. Its needle-sharp teeth glinted. Unlike the blunt instruments that a timid Bidoof used to bite into wood, a Shinx could sink its jaws into flesh pretty easily if it was pissed enough.

This was the difference between a wild and a trained Pokémon. That Shinx had no issues going straight for a human, just like those Starly on Route 201 did. It was Hiru's job to prevent that at any cost. Dawn tried not to let the guttural, low pitched hissing get to her. Had to keep a clear mind in these situations. Hiru and the Shinx sized each other up.

"Ember!" A short barrage of flames were thrown from Hiru's back end like tiny arrows, forcing their opponent to keep at a distance. It prowled left and right, looking for an opening to charge in. It picked the left, and Hiru lunged to meet it. The two Pokémon clashed, but the Shinx had enough body mass to send Hiru rolling along with it. Her Chimchar clawed at its face before it could bite down, though the Shinx's claws drew spots of blood. Dawn's jaw tightened. "Leer to Ember!" Hiru screamed in its face, making it take a step back in fear, and then turned and blasted the Shinx with fire. A direct hit that left it staggering. The fact that the Shinx hadn't run already showed its competitive spirit, even though it sported a couple of burns. It growled and swiped a paw through the air, and that's when Dawn threw her Pokéball. It cracked open against the Shinx's side and did its job, the ball locking after a few violent shakes. Hiru sagged in what she guessed was relief, breathing hard.

"Good boy," she mumbled as she passed. Healing him was top priority once she got the Shinx they worked so hard for. She shrank the ball and attached it to her belt, and then knelt to administer a Potion spray on Hiru's puncture wounds. They didn't look too deep, but disinfecting and closing them was important to avoid permanent damage.

"You really found a piece of work…" Lucas said. "Not many Shinx are that...aggressive by themselves. You sure you don't want another one to train?"

"No, this one is good," she insisted as Hiru reclaimed his spot on her shoulder. "That instinct's good, I mean. He won't hesitate in a battle." The desire to keep fighting would be an edge in certain situations. Lucas shook his head.

"If that's what you want." A flock of Starly took off in a hurry, only for a line of bubbles to intercept one. The rest of the bird Pokémon fled. One more strike later, and the lone Starly crashed to the ground.

"Got it!" Barry yelled. Dawn turned to see him nearly fall off the pine branch in his haste, and the two trainers hurried to meet him. By the time they reached the clearing, Barry clutched a Pokéball beside a barely scuffed up Piplup. "Told you it was easy," he said. "Tenno shot 'em out the sky, but this was the first one I could hit before it ran off."

"One catch for each of us so far," Dawn said, showing him her own Pokéball.

"Ooh, you got the Shinx? Nice! You're using it in the Oreburgh Gym?"

"Not until it's a little more trained, but I'd prefer to have a team member with a better type advantage against Rock-types by then." He would come in handy later for the inevitable Water and Flying-type opponents though, both extremely common on high level teams. It was best to have a counter for them early, to compliment Hiru.

They continued their trek through Route 202, catching a few more Pokémon for the sake of the Pokédex project. Dawn had no intention of training a Starly, Bidoof, or Kricketot, but they added more data points to the server, which benefited everyone. Barry caught some more Starly, but eventually settled on the first one he'd caught after comparing them for a few minutes. Lucas was a little more selective at what he picked to send back to Professor Rowan. He preferred Pokémon of unusual size or weight or off colored fur. Something about trying to get the widest variety of data.

The trio rested near the top of the hill, not bothering to set up a camp.

Jubilife City was only a couple of hours out judging by the intermittent signs, distant urban noise pollution, and the thinning of trees. Lucas sprinkled a bottle of water over his Turtwig's shell, smiling faintly as Terra closed her eyes in pleasure. Barry tossed bits of dehydrated fish (maybe Finneon or Goldeen) at Tenno to jump and catch. He'd torn through a whole packet of trail mix an hour ago as they walked, and now he was halfway through a sports drink. Dawn let Hiru have a serving of his new Fire-type specific diet while she consumed a fruit bar and examined her Shinx's ball. What to call him? She preferred simple names that connected with something inherent about the Pokémon. Maybe it wasn't the most creative approach, but they were easy to remember. She reviewed that short, yet explosive minute of battle with Shinx. It wanted to survive, but it didn't instantly bend to a superior strength either. No friends had come to his aid, nor did he call for them.

Following a rare impulse, she released the Shinx a few feet away. Contrary to some media depictions, a Pokéball did not tame or "control" a Pokémon. It could give a Pokémon information and prime it for learning, but not force it to comply. Some bad tempered ones actively rebelled or tried to attack again. This Shinx knew full well that he had been defeated and captured, but that didn't mean he would turn around and fall in line with Dawn. They needed to be acquainted beyond knowing she was his new Trainer.

The Shinx reformed in a flash of white particles, gold eyes falling onto her. Her Chimchar stopped shoving kibble into his mouth to watch from the side. Shinx growled, but made no move to strike or run. He was still as a statue. Dawn stared back, keeping her blinks to a minimum. Felines often communicated silently, using looks, body language, and touch. Slow blinking was meant to be friendly. Dawn was not a threat anymore. These humans and Pokémon surrounding him were allies now. A full minute dragged on before he gave in and laid down under the shade of a tree. His eyes never left Dawn for long, even as he groomed his fur. Unlike her Chimchar, his interest wasn't so easily grabbed...except when she inched a little closer to offer more meat bits. He didn't "speak" much or demand attention either. They were like polar opposites. Day and night. Hiru, and…

Dawn flipped open her Pokédex and input a name, attaching it to her Shinx's data. Yuyami. She waited another half an hour until Yuyami stretched himself out on the grass and yawned, and then recalled him. In a few hours, he'd start to understand his nickname and she'd begin the real training.

"Least you didn't take the whole month to name this one," Barry said. He released his Starly. "This is Yajiri." It flew in a circle around his head before settling on his outstretched arm with a small chirp. The Starly's expression was unmoved, but it started still while Barry ran a finger through its feathers. "I can tell he's a smart one. Took him like 20 minutes to go for the seeds. Maybe he's like...boss of the flock!"

"That'd be a Staravia, then." Lucas capped his water bottle and stood up. "Starly are too immature to lead a flock. They argue way too much, so they stick around Staravia to have a calmer influence." Barry stared at him for a long moment, and then laughed.

"So you really do know your stuff! Figures that Professor Rowan's assistant has the good info. You gotta tell us everything you know about Rock-types next."

"But why Rock-types?"

"He means for the Gym," Dawn said before Barry could ramble on. "We're going to Oreburgh from Jubilife City to earn a badge."

"Oh, right."

"Guess you're not interested in that either." Barry went back to scratching Yajiri. "You're looking at the next Champion, just so you don't get surprised later. Maybe even the next Tower Tycoon!"

"Uh, wait a second!" Lucas said, eyes widening. "Champion Cynthia's technically been undefeated for like nine years. Isn't that kind of insane to try? Don't they call her the Parable for a reason?" A living lesson of why one should never grow complacent in their knowledge of the world. It was an old Originist proverb, fitting for someone from Celestic Town.

Cynthia had taken down the former Champion, Lucian the Farseer, and then held her position ever since. He'd earned that nickname from being able to read his opponents so well that it was like he witnessed the future. And Cynthia ran through him on her first try, on a live broadcast so there was no dispute over its authenticity. Lucian took his defeat with grace and called her, in his exact words, a parable of a trainer as they shook hands. The term stuck.

Dawn watched that old recording multiple times, just like any other serious trainer in Sinnoh, in an attempt to learn something from that nail biting performance. Garchomp versus Bronzong had been a hotly debated match-up for a good while after Lucian's loss and "demotion" to an Elite Four member. The few challengers that even made it to her often gave up after psyching themselves out, or they forfeited upon her Garchomp hitting the field. Rumors said she sent her ace Pokémon out first sometimes when she sensed low ambition in an opponent. Weeding out the people that didn't really want the prize.

"Yeah, so what? I'm not scared," Barry said. "Champions are supposed to be tough, but no one's unbeatable and I'm gonna prove it! Right, Dawn?" She nodded, though her mind was elsewhere.

"Whoever I have to win against to prove I'm strong enough, I'll do it. And if one of those people is Champion Cynthia, then so be it," she said, her voice even flatter than normal.

"Strong enough for what?" Dawn shook her head and gathered up her own belongings.

"It's...personal reasons."

"Okay, you're both crazy…" Lucas shook his head and grabbed his bag to swing over one shoulder. "Look, you can do whatever you want as long as you don't drag me away from my independent research. Let's just get to Jubilife before the sun goes down." He grimaced. "That's when the really big Kricketune wake up." Judging by the noticeable amount of bug catchers prowling around, he was probably correct. Barry let his Starly fly above them as they set off.

"Gotta start breaking in the team on Trainer battles soon. Dawn you wanna"-

"Tomorrow, Barry."

"Aw…"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wonder if I should reveal every major trainer's names for their Pokemon? But that's a lot to keep track of.


	5. Jubilife City

**Jubilife City:** _Where Happy People Gather_

The largest settlement and media capital of the Sinnoh region. While Twinleaf and Sandgem were sprawled out and subtly shifted from natural environments to concrete streets, Jubilife borders were highly compact to minimize its effect on the nearby routes. Technology and urban aesthetics reigned here, and reinforced walls with Ranger-manned watchtowers kept dangerous wild Pokémon out. There were too many important communications structures mounted on rooftops to allow anything too big to come close.

Packed highways connected Jubilife with Eterna City to the north, Oreburgh to the east, and Canalave to the west across a sturdy bridge.

After passing through an open air checkpoint at the end of Route 202, the group walked along Jubilife's main street. Bright, well maintained street lamps were already on for the evening, and neon signs for stores, restaurants, and fancy hotels competed for attention from anyone passing by. Massive televisions mounted on high rise businesses displayed commercials and news reports. Contest tickets being sold, Pro Tournament schedules, sports and weather updates.

Unlike Sandgem, there weren't many Pokémon outside their containers unless they were clearly working. An officer patrolled one street corner with a Growlithe at his heels. A Staraptor perched atop a flying taxi while its trainer attracted customers. Two Machoke assisted with carrying a large couch to someone's parked truck. What looked like a fortune telling booth down an alleyway had a well-polished Bronzor hovering nearby the psychic medium.

Dawn glanced down a side street and noticed a large, multi-windowed brick building with a decent sized dirt field in the back. Was that entire thing a schoolhouse? She knew Jubilife had a facility just for Trainer education, but still…

"The Pokémon Center should be close," Lucas said, examining an electronic map. Barry steered him out the way of a fast walking man in a suit.

"Jeez, this place is busy…" Dawn kept close to them and tried not to get pulled into the flow of foot traffic. The Center and Mart turned out to be on the same side street, across an intersection from each other. They ducked into the Pokécenter first to claim sleep space and heal up their fatigued teams, but the lobby was strangely barren. Nurses and doctors were around, but the lack of Trainer activity was strange…

"It's so quiet! Did something happen?" Barry asked while they exchanged their Pokéballs for room keys. The nurse at the front desk shook her head.

"Oh nothing's wrong. Everyone's in the second floor lounge, probably. I think an Elite Four Challenge is underway."

"That must've started while we were travelling," Lucas said, checking the time on a wall clock. "Nothing was on the news this morning."

"Aw man, we gotta see this!" Barry hurried to the escalator, and Dawn followed suit. She wasn't about to miss a Challenge in progress either.

"Hey, wait up! Sorry for the trouble, ma'am..." Lucas trailed behind them, but Dawn and Barry didn't slow down until they reached the crowd of 30 or so Trainers scattered around the room. Multiple televisions showed the same channel, the Sinnoh League Network.

Barry gravitated to the one with the smallest group around it, trying to get a good view of the action.

"Crap, it's part way through! What'd we miss?" An older blonde girl, four Pokéballs gleaming on her belt, was kind enough to answer without taking her eyes off the screen.

"Someone started his Elite Four challenge around 12 today. He's got 18 more hours to finish it, but he only beat Aaron so far. Now he's facing Bertha."

Dawn could see the plain, dusty indoor battlefield as the camera panned over it, two people standing across from each other. The grey haired old woman in the coat was obviously Bertha, but the brown haired challenger wasn't too familiar. He looked maybe 17 or 18, with a sleek red jacket, gray cargo pants, and a full belt of Pokémon.

"That's Arthur Hino, an Ace Trainer that recently took a leave from his tournament career to gather the rest of his badges," a spectacled man in a plaid, button up shirt said. "I think the Sunnyshore Electivires picked him up a year ago? They're a pretty good pro circuit team to get a sponsorship from." Dawn nodded, but Lucas looked very lost. Did he not watch any Pro Tournaments either?

"How'd he do against Aaron?" Barry asked.

"It was real close. This guy's got an impressive Beedrill. Flew circles around Aaron's poor Drapion." The Trainer and the Elite Four member exchanged words that weren't picked up on the mics (they were probably muted at the moment) as the Network brought up stat cards for them. It had the usual info displayed in a tournament setting: Full name, hometown, professional win/loss record, registered Pokemon. All trainers involved in the Elite Four battles had to register their teams and 4 moves for each Pokémon per match. No one else but the referee had this information, so the challenge was still fair for both sides.

The announcer's speculation about the battle's outcome cut off as the two trainers activated Pokéballs. The lounge quieted down, everyone's eyes locked on a screen. It was starting.

"Go, Deep Blue!" Arthur's throw was clearly well practiced, like a pitcher on the mound. The Net Ball arced until it bounced off the hard packed dirt on his side of the field, releasing a large blue and green slug Pokémon. An East Sea Gastrodon, common on that side of the region. It was unscarred too, but that was most likely because of the species' impressive ability to regenerate on command.

"Oasis, assist me." Bertha used a more underhand toss, releasing a bulky black skinned Pokémon with large holes all over its body. Sand dripped from its impressive jaws as it yawned to show its teeth. Bertha's Hippowdon was the backbone of her team. Arthur tensed, but didn't hesitate for long.

The network displayed the Pokémon's stats and a "health points" bar for those new to battling. This was a simplified representation of stamina based on advanced computer scans and aggregate data patterns. Trainers were encouraged to learn when their Pokémon were too weak to go on without relying so much on technology though.

"Surf!" he ordered. He was on a constantly ticking timer, and Bertha had to keep that Hippowdon out for a full five seconds before she could switch again.

"Wait, why did she start with a pure Ground-type?" Lucas rubbed his chin. "Wouldn't it make more sense to lead with a Pokémon that resisted common weaknesses?" Barry shook his head, his fingers digging into a couch as he focused on the battle.

"It's not all about basic type stuff, man! Pay attention, you'll see what she's doing." He grinned. "Ya can't be an Elite Four member just by studying a bunch of charts. There's all sorts of strategies that go beyond Water beating Ground."

"Watch the Hippowdon's sand ports, Lucas." It was all Dawn could spare to say, mostly tuning out everything else in the room. The Gastrodon expelled water from its body like a soaked sponge, and then shaped it into a makeshift tidal wave to throw at the opponent. Bertha shook her head and smiled.

"Stone Edge, Dear." Hippowdon raised its forelegs and slammed on the ground once. Large, jagged rocks unearthed themselves and formed a protective ring around her Pokémon. The water struck and was forced to go around, leaving the Hippowdon mostly untouched. The Stone Edge collapsed, and even more sand poured out of its body.

"Oh... Oh I get it now!" Lucas sounded interested. "A Hippowdon can create sandstorms when they feel threatened. She's stalling and setting one up on purpose!" The wind whipped and picked up the sand, lowering the cameras' visibility. Arthur's jaw clenched, holding his arm over his nose and mouth as he squinted to see. His Gastrodon would be fine, but he needed protection. Bertha calmly pulled her scarf around the bottom half of her face and slid on a pair of heavy duty glasses. Arthur barked out an order to Mud Bomb and then yanked a gas mask out of his bag to wear. Bertha withdrew her Pokémon, completely dodging the wad of soaked dirt tossed its way, and then brought out a Golem.

"Tumble, Earthquake." The whole battlefield momentarily shook as the Golem stomped around.

"Sandstorm strategy is Bertha's thing," the blonde trainer spoke up again. "She keeps setting it up and wears people down with it and her Pokémon's steady attacks. Slow, but painful…" She shook her head. "If he doesn't have a good counter, he might as well give in."

"Dude's cracking already, you can see it in his eyes," another watcher chimed in. "This is nothing like a tournament match and he can't handle the atmosphere." Dawn watched Arthur as his composure slipped, but he didn't give in just yet. His Gastrodon fired a concentrated bubble into the air, setting off a sudden rain to cancel the sand out. Another Surf, now boosted in power, nearly KOed the Golem. It held on by its sheer bulk just long enough to curl into a ball and spin in place. Another Sandstorm whipped into existence around it. Bertha's expression stayed the same as before. The war of attrition played out like a chess game. Every time Arthur attempted a Rain Dance, Bertha reset her own weather and swapped Pokémon. Her Whiscash, "Sinker", was too resilient for his Gastrodon to power through. This was his wall. Bertha seemed to pick up on his lack of options, and she went on the offensive. Whiscash wore down his first Pokémon with a few strong Zen Headbutts, forcing Arthur's first switch. The Beedrill could dodge the Whiscash, but the sandstorm was inescapable. It too slowed as its strength was chipped away, and a perfectly aimed geyser of stone and dirt from an Earth Power KOed it. Arthur turned pale.

Dawn could tell that his momentum was absolutely gone now, and nothing would bring it back. The Elite Four challenge had no roar of a home crowd at your back or an announcer trying to hype you up. It was more of a ritual than sport. A mental battle to avoid being crushed by your opponent's will. He didn't have the fortitude. The pressure of thousands of silent spectators sat on his shoulders, judging and picking apart his skill as a Trainer. He was too afraid of losing to battle efficiently, but too prideful to forfeit now. He sent out a Raichu.

"Ugh, this is getting rough…" Barry grimaced and turned to leave. "I'm gonna call home. Dawn, you can tell me how it ends later. I don't wanna watch him choke this bad."

"Sure…" she nodded. Lucas bit his lip.

"So he's just going to lose? You're sure about it?" Arthur's Raichu jumped between rock formations, evading strikes until it found an opening to concentrate. The ground beneath Whiscash cracked before tendrils of vines and grass wrapped around it. The sheer weight of Whiscash worked against it as it thrashed about. A good Grass Knot, but…

Bertha recalled her weakened Pokémon and took the 4th ball out of her jacket.

"Drift, I believe we've seen enough." The Gliscor that emerged glided well above the Raichu, but any electric attacks would just be grounded before they took effect. A few minutes later, Arthur was out of conscious Pokémon. Dawn's pulse raced like she'd just been in a fight too, and it took a minute to catch her breath. That was the kind of intensity she wanted to battle with. A definable goal to reach. All the Trainers hanging around the television sets dispersed to go about their business. Lucas blinked a few times and scratched his head.

"That was very fast." Dawn startled and looked at him. He didn't look nearly as impressed, but he was...normal compared to her. Not hyper fixated on battling. She cleared her throat and adjusted her bag, her embarrassment fading.

"We told you it was over," Dawn reminded him.

"Real battles are...interesting, but intense." He sighed. "I should see if Terra's done healing downstairs and get started on my notes." She let him be and headed to an unoccupied computer terminal. She had to start researching Roark's Gym if she wanted to prove her dedication to getting his badge.

* * *

Her watch marked the time as nearly 11 PM when she stepped out the Pokécenter, still dressed for travel. Dawn didn't intend to go anywhere, but she still felt too restless to sleep well. She hadn't finished digging into Roark yet, but just browsing the Oreburgh Gym website and watching older clips of him battling gave her an idea of how she needed to train her own Pokémon. Roark was all about keeping focus. Attacking with a level head regardless of the situation. He also happened to be the son of Byron, gym leader of Canalave City, so he probably had a good amount of experience with competitive battling even before he claimed a gym. He also had a heavy interest in archaeology, more specifically fossilized and reanimated Pokémon. His teams often had at least one of them to contend with, but he preferred the Cranidos line. A fast, hard hitting pure Rock-type.

Dawn took out her two Pokémon and released them in a flash of white light. Chimchar had a sleepy look in his eyes, but her Shinx was as alert as before. Yuyami sat down and looked up at her, his golden fur patterns glowing faintly in the dark.

"I just wanted to talk," Dawn said. She knelt down to their level, balancing on the toes of her boots. "Starting tomorrow, we as a team are training as hard as we can until we're polished enough to beat our first Gym." Was it strange to talk to Pokémon like this? She didn't think they knew what her exact words meant, but she liked talking through plans out loud before committing to them. "I want a win on our first try. And if we could get you to evolve, Hiru…" She scratched the Chimchar's head. "That'll be much easier."

Yuyami, having been grooming his paw, suddenly looked out across the street. His eyes glowed brighter, and he cried out. Dawn stood up and strained to see what he was reacting to. There, hiding in the shadows of a broken streetlight. Was that a person lurking around?

"Hello?" she called. The rest of the street felt abandoned, no one else around. The figure paused, and then stepped out of the darkness to approach her. Hiru hopped onto her shoulder while Yuyami bared his teeth, taking up a defensive stance. The person approaching them was an older man wearing a white collared shirt, dark suspenders and slacks, and a bulky brown trench coat. He looked like a classic detective straight out of a film.

"...How did you know?" he asked, stopping a few feet away from her. "How did you unmask me as a member of the International Police?" Was that a real thing?

"Uh, no Sir. I was just wondering what you were doing…" she said, withdrawing her Shinx. Wouldn't want him to bite an officer. After an intense stare off, his serious expression broke.

"...Heh. I know better than to believe that. No, no, no. You recognized right away that I was someone extraordinary. That is why you spoke to me, is it not? Your power of observation is fearsome! Quite admirable, you are!" The way he spoke was off, like this wasn't his first language. Yet the words came out fast and energetic, forcing her to keep up. "Now that my cover has been blown, let me introduce myself. I am a globe-trotting elite of the International Police. My name…" he paused and scratched his chin. "Ah, no. I shall inform you only of my code name. My code name, it is Looker. It is what they all call me." Dawn nodded.

"It's nice to meet you, Mr. Looker." What an odd guy, but maybe he was telling the truth.

"Incidentally, is the saying, 'Don't be a thief!' familiar to you?"

"Um, yes…?" Stealing was in fact illegal.

"That is correct. Taking what belongs to others is wrong." Looker frowned.

"Unfortunately, there are apparently those who do not heed those words. In Sinnoh, in fact, there are criminals stealing the Pokémon of others. I have, therefore, been on the lookout for characters arousing my suspicion." Pokémon theft was a serious crime to bring up. Dawn thought that Sinnoh didn't have much of a large-scale problem in that area. Yes, gangs that centered around blackmarket Pokémon acquisition and trading existed, but it wasn't frequent here. Though she heard that Kanto and Johto really struggled with ousting Team Rocket for a while. "Incidentally, you are a Trainer, yes?" Oh, he must've seen her talking. Dawn cleared her throat and looked away.

"For a couple of days now…" she admitted.

"I have a request, then. If you were to see me again on your travels, I ask that you not talk to me, for I am on duty." He paused, and then his eyes lit up. "Actually, yes, yes, you may speak to me. You must. Not because I am lonely, no, no! You must inform me of bad guys! You must inform me of any happenings!" Looker exclaimed.

"I...sure, I'll keep an eye out." She could at least report anything suspicious before it got out of hand. That was part of a Trainer's duties.

"Stay vigilant, young Trainer!" he called, before sprinting off. Did he really work this late at night? Hiru tilted his head and watched the strange man go, just as confused as she felt at the moment. What were the odds of them running into each other anyway?

* * *

"So what're we doing today?" Barry asked around a mouthful of cereal. The Pokémon Center felt alive with activity this morning, even more busy than Sandgem Town. Dawn wondered how it wasn't completely full, but she guessed that some Trainers just bought nice hotel rooms instead of staying here. The same news channel played in the lounge, this time hosting a play by play analysis of yesterday's match. Lucas looked up from his notebook, his food only half eaten.

"Oh, you're not going straight to Oreburgh City? I just wanted to look around Route 203." His pencil tapped against the table as his eyebrows furrowed in thought. "That's where the Abra supposedly show up, but I need better Pokéballs to secure one first…"

"There's no way I'm leaving Jubilife without looking around!" Barry said. "This is the first big city we've been in, so I gotta soak the sights in before the day's over! Dawn, where's all the important stuff at?"

"They have maps in the lobby with tourist landmarks," she answered, before sliding a pamphlet over. "I want to get some training done this morning before you drag me around though."

"Oh, so you're rookie Trainers!" The three looked up as a familiar girl with long, blonde hair stopped at their table. Now that she didn't have her eyes glued to a screen, Dawn noted her deep blue tank top, clean white skirt and open toed shoes. Not exactly an outfit that screamed "traveler", but some Trainers just weren't interested in hiking the region to get from place to place. If she was almost 18, then it probably wasn't hard to find transportation whenever. "Sorry for sticking my nose in your business, but if you need help making the most of your stay, I wouldn't mind giving you tips."

"Sure I guess…" she felt someone's shoe poke her under the table.

"Ignore her, we'd love your help!" Barry said, after shooting Dawn a dirty look. What was up with him? "I'm Barry, and this is Dawn. We're from Twinleaf Town! Lucas over there is from Sandgem."

"Wow, Jubilife must really be a shock to the system, then!" She pulled out a Trainer Card. "My name's Harley. I'm from Lake Valor." She turned the card around, showing three badges attached to it. "I stopped here on my way to Canalave City for my fourth win."

"You beat three gyms already?" Barry stood up to get a better look. Dawn could recognize the Fen, Relic and Coal badges from here. It was a safe bet that Harley had a solid strategy for Roark, but would she reveal it if asked? Trainers took pride in their techniques, and it wasn't uncommon to hide their exact training regimes to avoid copycats.

"Oh, it's more of a casual thing…" she said, tucking the card away. "I wanted to take a scenic tour of Sinnoh before I headed off to university, and then I challenged Crasher Wake on a dare and…" Harley laughed. "Turns out that I really hate losing! It took me two tries, but I beat him after a month of working with my first two Pokémon. Then I moved on to Hearthome and Oreburgh."

"We're going to Oreburgh City next," Dawn brought up. Maybe if she kept it casual, Harley would be willing to keep talking about battling.

"That's going to be your first Badge?" she asked. "If you're not used to the Sinnoh League standard rules yet, then you should check out the Trainers' School before you leave."

"Don't you have to register to take classes there?" Lucas asked. Harley shook her head.

"Oh no, you don't need any classes. They're open Monday to Friday, but after they let the students out, the back fields and equipment are free for the public to use. A lot of local Trainers and teachers hang around there, looking for practice partners."

"Alright, we're going there now!" Barry declared, withdrawing his Piplup.

"I'm sure there's something around here that's not solely about battling," Lucas interrupted.

"Oh, there's also the Global Terminal building they finished up a year ago," Harley continued. "You can't miss it, it's the skyscraper with glass walls and a huge antenna sticking out from the top. You can search for and trade Pokémon with people from different regions, and they have a server that stores and organizes Pokémon battles taped by multiple Pokémon Leagues." Dawn remembered everyone talking about how easy it was to watch foreign battles now. In the Terminal, you could look up Gym Leader and Elite Four challenges from Kanto, Johto, and Hoenn so far. Well known Trainers recorded their tournament matches to generate publicity too. Pro Teams and even the Sinnoh League itself sometimes scouted recruits this way. Harley tapped her watch, a light pink model with a digital screen.

"I also heard that the Pokétch Company is running a campaign to promote their newest watches by handing them out to new trainers that answer some quiz questions. I'm sure you three could do it. I think the President hired some entertainers to walk around Jubilife and give out questions." Lucas brightened up.

"A free Pokétch would be nice…" He glanced at his old analogue watch. "They have useful downloadable apps too."

"And it's right next to Jubilife TV!" Harley leaned over the table and opened the pamphlet up to a new page. "That's where most of the expensive programs get recorded and distributed. They do tours every day, and…" They continued discussing Jubilife City's options and eventually settled on staying for one more day to get the most out of the trip. The Trainers' School would be open for the whole weekend, so they could try and get the most use out of the facilities. That also gave Lucas enough time to track down and capture his Abra before they moved east.

"I'll be leaving for Canalave tomorrow afternoon, but it was nice meeting you all. Good luck with Roark!" Harley said.

"Actually...would you mind battling with us?" Dawn asked.

"That'd be a little unfair considering my team is months ahead of yours in experience, but…" She rested a hand on her chin. "How about you meet me at the Trainers' School in a couple of hours? If you want to prepare for your Gym Badge match, I think I can help you out in a different way." Not exactly what Dawn was aiming for, but help was help. Harley left the cafeteria, and Barry visibly relaxed more.

"Nice job, Dawn!" She rolled her eyes. Who was the one with the crush now?

"We could look into that Pokétch deal until then." Lucas finished his food and recalled his Turtwig. "Can't be too hard to track those entertainers down if they're trying to stand out."

* * *

About an hour and three insultingly easy Pokémon based trivia questions later, Dawn, Lucas, and Barry had 3 ticket vouchers each. It turned out that the entertainers were brightly dressed clowns, which felt...a little bit childish. They were helpful enough in explaining the promotion's rules though.

"Who doesn't know what an Oran Berry is good for?" Barry grumbled, leading the way to the Company building. The coupons would be used to redeem their free watches. "I could've answered that at age 10!"

"He must be desperate for the free publicity for the new model." That's what Dawn guessed, anyway.

"Think of it like this," Lucas said. "They didn't waste your time signing a stack of paperwork on how to advertise their product right."

Jubilife during the day was a slightly different experience. The bars and clubs were closed until evening, but the rush of mid-morning Saturday traffic took their place. Children and their families replaced the night crowd, visiting bookstores, video game shops, and movie theaters. Food carts sat on strategic street corners to lure customers in.

They were on the road that went west and eventually led out of the city to Route 218, and the crowds began to thin out near the corporate buildings and studios. Security guards in brown and black uniforms checked people over before they could enter certain doors, probably to curb unauthorized visitors interrupting shows being recorded.

"Enter the Jubilife Television Lottery!" a man on the sidewalk said as they passed, holding up a sign near the front of a one story building. It had a large satellite dish mounted on the roof. Was that the main broadcast building? "Free to enter once per day! Grand Prize is an authentic Silph Corporation Master Ball!" Lucas stopped, and Dawn tugged on Barry's sleeve to get him to slow down.

"Wait, don't you want to check that out?" Lucas asked.

"Aw, you really think that lotto stuff is legit?" Barry shook his head. "I bet no one wins the best prize. It's just to get people to walk inside and get dragged into signing up for a boring tour."

"But it's free, so it's not like trying costs anything. I'm sure they have consolation prizes too." Lucas cut across the street. "Just give me five minutes and I'll be back."

"Yeah, yeah. If you're late, I'm hitting you with a fine, Lucas!"

"I'll make sure he doesn't end up on a tour, alright?" Dawn could tell that Barry would explode if they dragged this on longer than necessary, and she did want to get back to the Trainers' School.

"Don't let him come back out here with a bunch of souvenirs either," he warned her. "No one takes people with those tee-shirts seriously." Dawn took that as a compromise and joined Lucas, passing through the automatic sliding doors of the TV Station.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'd love for readers to tell me how they feel about the way I write battles in general, I want to make sure they're not too confusing or boring. It's important that I make them interesting since they're the backbone of this kind of story.


	6. A Long Way to Go

Jubilife TV had a polished, modernized look that started in its lobby. Off-white, spotless tile floors and walls painted a calm beige and light blue. Small television screens scattered around the waiting area showing clips of popular programs. Metal chairs with cushioned seating available for the taking near a table with some entertainment magazines stacked on top. A couple of high tech vending machines for food and hot and cold drinks were installed in a corner. The grey and blue receptionist desk, office supplies and computer well organized on top of it, curved to close off a small area meant for employees only. The back wall had the Network's name installed on it in big, clear letters, accompanied by their logo. The production studio used an outline of a Staravia's head inside a blocky, rabbit eared TV screen. There was even a person-sized cartoon Staravia statue not far from the door. Dawn hoped there wasn't a guy trapped in a creepy mascot costume lurking nearby.

"They definitely know how to market themselves," Lucas said, picking up a TV brochure. Loud talking and music drifted down from the ceiling. "I guess they tape things and control the broadcasts on the upper floors." A Miltank and a man dressed like a farmer were being ushered into an elevator farther away. A Milk commercial, probably.

"Oh hello! Welcome to Jubilife TV!" the receptionist called, waving at the two visitors. Her hair and makeup were almost too neat. Dawn watched Lucas expectantly.

"...Go on. Barry's waiting." Lucas seemed to snap out of whatever had kept his legs in place and went up to the desk, Dawn following at a distance. This was his idea.

"My name is Felicity! What can I do for you kids today?" she asked. "Our tours are filled, but we have more openings this week. Did you have questions about our programming schedule, or is this about applying for the quiz show"-

"Um, the guy outside said there was some kind of lottery…?" Lucas interrupted. Felicity's eyes lit up, or was that just the powder on her face reflecting the fluorescent lighting?

"Oh how exciting! Yes, we do have a lottery we're running. It's completely free to enter and we have some excellent prizes." She typed rapidly on her keyboard. "I just need to see an ID card and I can enter you and check to see if you've won right now. Instant results!"

After Lucas handed one over and Dawn was "persuaded" to give it a try, the receptionist swiped both cards through a reader. Did they pay her more for signing people up? Surely she wasn't this enthusiastic for free.

"And now to pull up our number of the day!" Felicity handed their IDs back. "This raffle system uses both your Trainer Card registration number and the assigned numbers of any Pokémon tied to your official record. It then compares how many matching numbers you have to the number of the day. The closer the numbers, the better the prize. And the more you've caught, the more chances you have to win!"

"That's...very interesting." Lucas forced a smile, and Dawn was tempted to pull out her Pokédex just to escape the situation in front of her. The computer rescued them by playing a short, cheerful jingle to distract Felicity.

"Oh, we've got two winners today! Please, give me a moment…" Wait, they matched the numbers? It was probably just one of the consolation prizes, not the expensive ones…

"Woah, I'm never this lucky!" Lucas said as the receptionist unlocked a safe below her desk. She stood up again and set a small plastic case on the counter.

"You matched 2 numbers, Miss Hidaka, so you've won…" The plastic case clicked as it opened, revealing 6 vials of liquid and pills. "...a set of League-approved Pokémon vitamins!" Weren't those expensive? Sure, it was only a month of doses at best, but… Dawn closed the case and tried not to look as bewildered as she felt. It wasn't a Master Ball, but she'd take it. Only Trainers with actual salaries could afford these regularly.

"Thank you, Ma'am," Dawn finally said, remembering her manners.

"And as for you, Mr. Acord, you matched 3 numbers. You've just won yourself an Ultra Ball!"

They left the studio in higher spirits than expected after escaping an offer to check out the rest of Jubilife TV. Not long after they got outside, a small group of men and women cut through the parking lot and entered the building. They all had either dark suits on or jackets that said "Sinnoh Pokémon League" printed on them in bold, official letters. If they had any Pokémon, their balls were most likely out of sight. A security guard told his Luxray to stand down and then acknowledged the group with a salute. Maybe a Gym Leader or Elite Four member was preparing for a television appearance? She doubted she would get a straight answer if she asked anyone. League security details were too professional to leak news to a bystander.

"Dawn, do you know what I can catch with this?" Lucas asked, still clutching the minimized Ultra Ball.

"Something rarer than a Bidoof?" He better not throw it at a Pokémon they could find anywhere.

"Very funny. I meant that I can secure an Abra without worrying about it teleporting away." The crosswalk signal switched to green, and the two hurried across the street. "All I can buy are regular Pokéballs, and an Abra could break the net too easily to risk throwing one without a way to make it pause. And Turtwig doesn't learn any debilitating powder moves, so..." Pokéballs all used an "electronic net" system to capture targets. Unfortunately, the higher quality the net, the more expensive the capsule was to produce. Basic models were incredibly cheap, but any Pokémon with some fight left in it could break one. There were also Pokéballs designed specifically to excel in certain scenarios, such as low light conditions or submerged in water. The Ultra Ball had the highest "catch rate" of the basic capsules, and the fairly weak Pokémon around Jubilife would be no match for one.

"Finally!" Barry ran to meet up with them, his Piplup waddling to keep pace. "Come on, we only have an hour until we gotta be at the school"- he stopped, taking notice of their new items. "You really won something?"

"Yes, I did." Lucas tucked the Ultra Ball away. "And Dawn won a set of vitamins. Guess it wasn't a scam after all, huh?" Was Lucas...messing with him?

"Hold on, then that means…" Dawn grabbed Barry's scarf as he lunged for the crosswalk. "I gotta try for that Master Ball! C'mon, Dawn! Let go!" Tenno chirped, excited over his trainer's display.

"We don't have time," she reminded him. "The watches, Barry. Then the school." He stopped struggling.

"We're just hurrying like you wanted to," Lucas continued, taking the lead with a smile that bordered arrogance. Dawn rolled her eyes and followed him down the street, shoving Barry along with them. He groaned, but recalled his Piplup to make things easier.

The Pokétch Company was a smaller, more intimate business. The actual owner even came downstairs to explain the many features to them. Not only was he selling a watch, but a wrist mounted device with a variety of useful and entertaining apps that interacted with Pokémon. He even released the source code to allow others to make Pokétch apps of their own. Dawn only wished that there were more color choices than blue and pink. He insisted that she modeled the "Girls" color scheme for marketing purposes, and while it did match the accents on her clothes and hat, Dawn would rather have a less eye-catching device strapped to her wrist. Barry and Lucas received the blue version, and the trio boarded a city bus at the nearest station to reach South Jubilife quickly. Compared to the private taxi service prices, paying a simple bus fare and getting off a few stops later was way more preferable on their budget. One day, she did want to fly over cities with a Staraptor though. Maybe she'd raise one just for travelling...

* * *

The Pokémon Trainer School of Jubilife City buzzed with activity, even on a supposed day off from classes. While the main building was locked, the open field in the back had enough space to comfortably fit a good amount of people and Pokémon. They could host a small tournament if they wanted to. Lucas stayed on the bus, wanting to take it all the way to the east end of Jubilife to check the edge of Route 203. They parted ways amicably, promising to meet up again that evening at the Pokémon Center. As the express transit pulled away, Dawn and Barry reached the chain link fence that surrounded the school's grounds. A sign warned of potentially dangerous Pokémon activity, but the gate itself was unlocked.

"So where's Harley?" Barry tried to pick her out among the teenagers scattered around. Some were paired off to practice battle tactics on flattened dirt rectangles with chalk markings. Most of the Pokémon they used were common to the area or just old enough to begin training. No one seemed more experienced than the two of them. A few older Trainers tested accuracy with clay disc launching machines and stationary target dummies, hurling Pokéballs or directing their Pokémon to attack. And at a large in-ground pool close to the school itself, two tougher Pokémon fought in the water. Dawn recognized one of the people by the pool's edge.

"Over there." She pointed in their direction, and Barry looked away from the rare Gible someone was putting through its paces.

"Is that a Gyarados?" It was an impressive one too, though only average length. Dawn pulled out her Dex as they made their way over, joining the small gathering of people watching the one on one match. The Gyarados registered as about 16 feet long, its scales still tinted purple in some spots. Remnants of its time as a Magikarp. An adolescent one, then. Probably evolved weeks ago, so it hadn't finished shedding the rest of its previously red scales. The ones Crasher Wake used during his televised matches were above 20 feet. Even so, this guy's Pokémon weaved through the pool expertly, intimidating mouth agape as it bared down on Harley's Golduck. It snapped and thrashed, forcing the Golduck to dive and surface repeatedly. They traded glancing blows, the two Water-types cutting with their claws and fins. Gyarados had raw power, but the grace of a Golduck in its element was unparalleled. Their back and forth looked like a strangely coordinated dance.

"They're really good," Barry mumbled, watching with rapt attention.

Harley directed the Golduck behind its opponent and called for a Confusion, prompting the Kappa-like creature to concentrate and make the red jewel on its head pulse brightly. The entire serpent locked up under the psychic grip, muscles unable to break free. The other trainer, wearing a red jacket emblazoned with what Dawn recalled was the Jubilife Staraptors team logo, adjusted his cap and countered with Dragon Rage. His Gyarados stopped its struggling and growled. Inside its maw a reddish heat built up, and then it unleashed a wicked stream of purple flames down at the Golduck. Harley called for a retreat, and Golduck broke off the Confusion to escape the intense breath attack.

"Now Aqua Tail!" The other trainer yelled, eyes locked on the Golduck. His Pokémon used its newfound freedom to whip around the pool and slam the Golduck with its massive tailfin before Harley could react. Golduck collided with the pool wall, and Harley returned it to her Pokéball with a sigh.

"I should've held my ground at the end," she said as most of the onlookers went back to their own training. Her opponent recalled his Gyarados not long after it let out a victory roar and clipped it back on his belt.

"Yeah, I bet a Water Pulse could've countered. Dragon Rage isn't that strong, you got too focused on out-swimming us." Harley spotted Dawn and Barry then, her eyes lighting up.

"Oh, hey guys! This is who I wanted you to meet!" She hopped off the raised platform. "This is Dennis. He's a teaching aide here, and he used to collect badges too."

"Good to see new challengers," Dennis said with a smile. He looked around 18, and 6 Pokéballs sat on his belt. "I gave up after my 6th badge, but coaching trainers is my real passion. So you're trying to get Coal Badges?"

"We wanted some more battle experience before we reached Oreburgh," Dawn said. Dennis nodded and scratched his chin.

"Alright, I'll give you an assessment. Show me your teams so far and we'll see what we can do."

Barry shifted impatiently as Dennis took his time inspecting Tenno and Yajiri with a Pokédex. Dawn's had already been scanned, and now she was waiting for a response. Were they anywhere close to ready, or would they need weeks to prepare?

"Hm...alright. These Pokémon are definitely fresh," Dennis said. "Not terrible, just needs more polishing if you want to make a serious Gym attempt. That Starly won't be helpful against anything Roark throws at you, but your Piplup's a good choice. Maybe think about what you're going to do against Electric-types as you build your team, but if you focus on Piplup's endurance and water attacks, I think you can win." Barry pumped his fist.

"Tenno's got this in the bag!" Dawn rolled her eyes, but she expected this. A good Water-type is going to excell against Rock-types in a 1st badge fight.

"And as for your team…" Dennis hesitated. "Yeah, you've got no real counters unless you evolve that Chimchar. I'd still advise you get a Pokémon that's more effective on Rock-types too. There's a lot of easy catches around here that would help round your options out." Dawn nodded.

"I did plan to train Hiru enough to have a Monferno by then, but making him do all the work seemed risky. A second Pokémon to fall back on would be nice..."

"Now that we've set more _realistic_ expectations, let's do some training. If you can spare some time every morning this weekend, I'll help you with specialized drills. Then you can keep them up on your own. Does that seem fair?"

"I'm ready to start!" Barry said. Dawn eyed her two Pokémon. Hiru looked attentive and Yuyami was...still a bit disinterested, but not aggressive. A good sign.

"I'm ready as well."

"Good, because I have some ideas already." Dennis grabbed 3 Pokéballs and tossed them, releasing his Gyarados and 2 new ones. Standing in front of her Chimchar was a taller, muscular Monferno with an impressive flame on the tip of its long tail. A Luxio stretched out beside it, claws digging into the dirt before setting its intense gaze on her.

"All Gym battles are gonna expect you to think and fight at the same time. Your Pokémon need to be moving or defending at all moments or you're gonna take way too many unnecessary hits." He motioned to his own Pokémon. "We're gonna work on making this a natural behavior. You shouldn't have to give a dodge or block command when you're supposed to be observing your opponent and making hard decisions. Move and attack and you'll preserve your battle momentum, you get it?"

"Oh. Is that what you were doing with Harley?" Dawn asked.

"Yeah, that's a common sparring session. Makes it a habit to not stay still. Once we've got the dodging down, we can work on attack strength and aiming while under pressure. Let's spread out and start." For the rest of the day, he set up mock fights and used his Pokémon as opponents to avoid the relentless attacks of. He explained Roark's strategy at the same time based on his own experiences.

"His most valued skill is _focus_ ," Dennis said, watching as Dawn's Chimchar weaved in and out of Monferno's Fury Swipes. "His Rock-types excel at playing defensive. Waiting you out until the perfect opportunity, and then he hits with full force. Don't give him the chance, or he'll take control of the whole match." Barry's Piplup scrambled to escape a somewhat gentle Bite from Gyarados. It was a completely different temperament compared to the raging beast that'd been in the pool a couple hours earlier. Was it just angrier in a real battle?

"Just gotta keep the water on all the time, got it." Barry ordered a Bubble, and Tenno struck the Gyarados on the side as it pulled back. A very light wound, but a clear hit.

"Just don't hesitate, or he'll put you in the corner." Dennis scratched the back of his head. "Roark trains his teams with crazy discipline, so if you have any cute tricks to distract them...don't even think about using it. He'll just push right through it. Best to fight hard and efficiently." He turned to Dawn. "Now if you have a Monferno by then, you'll have a huge speed advantage. If you can practice Mach Punch enough to be usable, you can dodge and strike almost simultaneously..." Dawn had about two extra pages of notes by the time they finished up and headed back to their rooms.

* * *

Once the bus dropped him off at the other end of the city, Lucas had no trouble passing through the eastern guard checkpoint. And once he left the safety of Jubilife's concrete and metal walls, he was met with the upward sloping grassy foothills of the Mount Coronet range. Beyond them loomed one of the smaller man-made tunnels that led to Oreburgh City. He couldn't see it since the mining capital was developed within the mountains, but he had no intention of starting that far today. Lucas doubted that he'd even have to leave the grassland outskirts based on his Pokédex map. The aggregate data collected by the Sinnoh League and other Dex users showed a naturally high population of Abra along this part of 203. Now he just had to track one, which was...easier said than done.

Psychic-types were already more difficult to subdue because of their acute ability to sense danger. Abra were naturally timid and fled at the slightest negative stimuli with their well honed Teleport skill, so while there were a lot of wild ones, the species was still considered a rare catch outside of private breeding projects. Lucas touched the shiny new Great Ball on his belt. This was going to be his trump card, but he also had a couple days' worth of researching to work with. Apparently the best method of keeping an Abra still was to attempt to clear your mind. Think of anything but catching it. No sudden emotions. Stay calm and boring.

Lucas wasn't exactly into meditation, but he'd give it a try. Better than just winging it. While he didn't plan to fight the Abra, he sent out Terra just in case any other Pokémon approached. He'd return her if he spotted his actual target, but it was better not to get blindsided by an angry Starly or Shinx.

Lucas scratched his Turtwig under her jaw and whistled for her to follow. They took a good hour just walking around the outskirts of Jubilife while Lucas pointed his Dex lens around the bushes. The idea was to sense the Abra before it sensed them, and then he could take his time with the approach. He felt pretty confident when a soft popping noise alerted him to a Pokémon about 50 feet off. Terra paused and sniffed the air. He turned his Dex to face a dark yellow, humanoid shape floating a few inches above the grass. His screen displayed a male Abra. A little shorter than 3 feet and 30 pounds. Grown enough to begin training, though Lucas didn't envision it fighting much until it didn't have to sleep for 18 hours per day. He could be patient until it became a Kadabra. He fumbled for Terra's ball to recall her and then slowly grabbed the Ultra Ball, his eyes never leaving Abra. He took slow, even breaths and let his mind wander. His thoughts meandered along, half aware of his light steps as he closed the distance between himself and the Pokémon. What he was going to eat for lunch, how that Pikachu voltage experiment was going without him, how his parents and sister were fairing now that he was missing from the house…

Did he want to go back home yet? He actually felt alright out here, away from Sandgem Town. Was that okay? He thought everything would overwhelm him, but so far nothing had really gone wrong. Was he just being stubborn the whole time, staying attached to home when almost every other person his age wanted freedom-

The Abra's ear twitched, and it blinked out of existence. Lucas froze, and then sat down with a groan. He was so close! Up on a nearby hill, the same Abra reappeared. Time for attempt number two.

A whole hour later, Lucas lost count of his attempts. This Abra was either very insistent on dragging him around the area, or he was terrible at mind clearing. Terra opened her jaws in a yawn and lingered at his side when he sat down in frustration, stretching out on the grass. Was this just impossible?

"You seem to be running into some trouble." A shadow blocked out the afternoon sun, and Lucas looked up at the face of a vaguely familiar man.

His eyes and wavy, shoulder-length hair were a soft purple color, along with the tinted pair of glasses he wore. He had a black collared shirt on with a matching pair of deep red slacks. Lucas blinked and pushed his hat up. The right name escaped him, but something in the back of his mind said that this man was important.

"...Am I in your way, Sir?" Lucas got to his feet, brushing the dirt off his jeans. Terra watched the stranger intently, mouth slightly ajar.

"Oh no, not at all. I happened to be taking a walk while a colleague of mine took care of some business, and I couldn't help but notice a young trainer struggling with a Pokémon." He adjusted his glasses. "And with a brand new Pokédex too. Has Professor Rowan started up his research again?"

"Yes, actually. I'm assisting in his Evolution studies." Lucas didn't see a need to lie.

"And you wanted an Abra for your studies, I presume?"

"That...was my aim." He couldn't believe that a stranger just watched him get outsmarted by a half asleep Pokémon.

"I see…" the man placed a hand on his chin, and then nodded to himself. "Then as a fellow seeker of knowledge, I feel an obligation to assist your efforts. May I ask your name?"

"Um, Lucas Acord. And you don't have to do that!"

"I insist it's not a burden at all. This is far more interesting than wandering the streets of Jubilife. Let me introduce you to a partner of mine…" the well dressed stranger slipped an Ultra Ball out of his pocket and expanded it. Lucas scooped up his Turtwig and backed away to give them some space. The ball released a blue light, reforming into a yellow and brown, big eared creature around the size of Lucas. It gripped two silver spoons, its whiskers were long, and small scars covered its skin from multiple battles. A fully grown Alakazam.

"This is Merlin, who I caught and raised from an Abra. Out of curiosity, how much do you know about the protective walls of this city?"

"Hm...I know that they somehow keep Psychic-types from getting inside. Something about creating a signal that interrupts brainwave patterns?"

"Yes, within these walls are machines known as Anti-Abra Field generators. They send out electro-magnetic waves at a frequency that is naturally disruptive to Abra within a certain distance, discouraging them from teleporting closer without causing bodily harm. I believe that the pokemon researcher that first proved this concept, the famous Bill Sonezaki, wrote an article about his experiments with the Cerulean Cape Abra population." The older trainer's eyes betrayed excitement behind his glasses frames as he spoke. "His study results were then expanded to other common "nuisance" Psychic-types, and the generators were designed and sold to various regional governments. Sinnoh cities close to Mount Coronet also use them to keep Chingling, Meditite, and Bronzor out of urban areas."

"That's really fascinating, but how is that going to help me catch this Abra?" Lucas asked, looking at the wild one lingering by a tree. It hadn't teleported again, but he was sure if he made another move, it'd change its mind.

"Powerful Psychic-types, like Merlin here…" The man smiled and rubbed Alakazam's head. "can copy the generator's frequencies for short periods of time. In a way, it's quite similar to the Disable technique. How about we give it a try?"

"That does sound easier than trying to think of nothing and throwing a ball at the same time." Lucas straightened up a little, remembering his manners. "Thank you for the assistance, Sir."

"No need for formalities. We're both Trainers, after all. You can just call me Lucian."

They approached the Abra together, but before it could retreat across the field once more, Lucian gave a single command.

" _Halt."_ His entire tone and demeanor changed, and the Alakazam floating beside them locked eyes with its younger, far weaker counterpart. Its eyes turned a deep blue, and the two spoons in its hands bent. The wild Abra shuddered, but didn't move an inch. Lucas took aim and tossed his Ultra Ball. The arc of the throw was good, pinging off its shoulder and drawing it in. The ball landed on the ground and rocked for a few tense seconds before locking. His Dex registered a successful catch. Lucas let out a long sigh. He'd done it…with help, but the task was complete. The exact details were irrelevant as long as he could start his research project.

"I think I'll call him Magus."


	7. Route 203, The Road to Oreburgh

"Lucian was here? And you didn't send a message?" Dawn winced at Barry's outdoor volume. She understood why he’d be worked up, but they were in the Pokémon Center. After a full weekend in Jubilife City working with their Pokémon, it was about time they moved on. Tomorrow, they were off for Oreburgh.

"Don't be so loud…" Lucas noticed a few Trainers in the lounge looking their way and tilted his hat at them as an apology, his face flushed. "It wasn't a big deal, we met by coincidence a couple of days ago. He was in town for League business and wanted to help me."

"Business?" Dawn looked up from scrolling through her Pokédex, an empty sushi container beside her. "The TV station could’ve been filming another government ad." Seeing a member of the Elite Four promoting Pokémon care and Trainer licensing was common. PSA posters featuring Champion Cynthia were taped up in school halls or Pokémon Centers so frequently that the messages themselves began to blur together. Companies blew impressive amounts of money and fought one another over sponsorship deals with the official strongest Trainers in Sinnoh. An Elite Four member's influence truly knew no bounds in their region.

"What? Was there more of 'em here?" Barry laid his head on the table and sulked. "We were so close and we still missed seeing anyone cool!"

"If you're aiming for the Sinnoh League, won't you eventually meet them anyway?" Lucas asked. "So what’s the big deal?"

"We’re definitely gonna make it there! I just wanna get an autograph, or maybe ask to see their Pokémon up close..." While he and Lucas went back and forth over whether Barry was a "fanboy", Dawn once again went over the final tips Dennis imparted on them before they left the Trainers School.

"The trick to helping your Pokémon adjust to different evolutionary states is reading the maturity signs and adjusting their diet accordingly," he had said, setting a bowl down on the field for his Monferno. The monkey Pokémon hooted softly in excitement before downing the kibble with its hands. "If you give them the right nutrients ahead of time as they’re storing energy, they'll adapt better. The big signs are weight gain and changes in coloration of fur or skin, which is why you should observe and interact with your team daily." For once in his life, Barry had taken notes on a subject being taught. Having an evolved, battle ready Pokémon as soon as possible was a big deal though. Some evolutions were so radically different that it took weeks for them to get back into their former condition again, or they required learning a different strategy all together. 

"There's certain Pokémon, like Rock, Ground, or Steel-types that have more subtle signs, but you should do in depth research on anything you plan on training." Dennis scratched his Monferno's head. "For your Chimchar, look for darker brown fur, thicker forearms, and any sudden weight gain above 25 pounds. It’s a good time to start adding in Fighting-type food." Dawn reminded herself to use the weight feature of her Dex more. "And for a Piplup, you'll start to see little nubs on its head for where the metal crests are going to grow in, and they store more fat in general. Their flippers get sharper too, so mineral supplements are helpful." Dennis went over the basics of Starly and Shinx growth as well, hammering in how much they needed to pay attention to their Pokémon as they matured.

"Oh wait, I forgot about this!" Barry stopped defending his own honor and dug into his bag. "Dennis gave us a couple of TM copies. I don't think I'm gonna use Hidden Power, so you can have it." He slid a sealed disc across the table to Lucas, who picked it up to read. "Your Abra can't really learn techniques by itself yet, right? This way, you can still battle until it evolves." 

"Uh...thanks. I was planning to wait for a natural evolution, but making sure Magus can defend himself in a bad spot isn't a terrible idea." Lucas scooped a few berries out of the bowl next to his food and offered it to the Abra sitting nearby. "Magus, look." He appeared to be asleep, but his ears perked up at his Trainer’s voice. A faint glow surrounded the berries, carrying them into Magus's mouth. Awake enough to eat, then. Lucas scratched his Pokémon's head carefully. After only two days, the Abra was already calm around him.

"Are you returning to Sandgem Town, then?" Dawn asked.

"Oh, I…" Lucas left his Abra alone and sat up, toying with his hat again as he formulated an answer. "I want to keep going." he said. "I think I'm starting to get what the Professor was talking about, so I should at least finish my report before I return."

"Alright, welcome aboard the Sinnoh League Express!" Barry said. "Nice to see you finally stopped being boring." Dawn went back to reading to cover a smile. Barry could be rude at times, but he ended up making friends with everyone eventually.

"You know there's more to Pokémon besides battling, right?" Lucas stood up and returned Abra to his Pokéball. "I don't mind following your travel plans, but don't expect me to start signing up for Gyms now. Anyway, I need to call home and break the news." They all had basic cell phones, but their service was notoriously bad if you tried to call someone outside your city. Something about too much natural interference in the air. Mount Coronet gave off a powerful magnetic force that scrambled weaker EM waves, so more essential devices communicated with one another via satellites or old underground phone lines. Pokécenters had great internet access too.

"We'll be down in the lobby at 8 tomorrow," Dawn said as he left for his room. They needed to resupply, and then it was time for their hike to Oreburgh City. 

* * *

The next morning, Dawn noticed that Lucas was in a much better mood than she expected. He'd gotten over his apparent homesickness rather quickly. Or was this about something else?

"What's up with you today?" Barry never hesitated to say anything, but sometimes that tendency worked to her advantage. "Your parents send you a bunch of cash?"

"Better than that, my father informed me that he could arrange for evolutionary triggers to be sent to me if I need them," Lucas said with a genuine, lopsided grin. Dawn didn't think he could smile like that, he was so reserved.

"That stuff's expensive, right? Lucky…" Barry looked impressed. "Is that an apprentice thing?"

"Yeah, researchers need a reliable supply of them for some Pokémon experiments or breeding projects." Items like Evolutionary Stones were notorious for their price outside of certain areas. Big department stores in places like Kanto sold them, but if you wanted them in Sinnoh, you often had to find your own seller. Or get lucky in the wilderness or underground tunnels and find what you need. Oreburgh had an impressive stone display in their museum, but that was as close as the average person usually got. Dawn was reading about efforts to synthesize these evolution tools for mass production, but the going was slow.

"We can talk on the way, I want to get on Route 203 before noon, and we haven't gone shopping yet." It wasn't as if she didn't have interest, but she just wanted to have as much training time as possible once she booked that Gym appointment with Roark.

"Ooh, Dawn's impatient today!" She rolled her eyes as she threw her bag over her shoulder and left ahead of Barry. It was time that he struggled to catch up for once.

The Jubilife City Pokémart was more crowded, most likely due to the traffic between neighboring cities. With some supplies left over from Sandgem, they spent much less time browsing and went straight for the important things: Pokéballs, Repel bottles, Potions, and nonperishable food. The trip would be slightly shorter than the winding Route 202, but Oreburgh Gate was technically a part of the Coronet mountain range, and there were some tunnels to explore that led to excellent places to catch some rarer Pokémon. The underground lake area (more like a large pond) had grown in popularity alongside Milotic in the Super Contest scene, even if the odds of someone successfully fishing up and raising a wild Feebas were low. People tested their luck in droves anyway.

To Barry's disappointment, this Mart didn't sell Pokémon rods anyway. Not like he had the cash for a decent brand, but once he got an idea in his head, common logic had no effect on him. Dawn wasn't going to catch much this week, but Lucas and Barry loaded up to provide more samples for Professor Rowan. They could look for Psyduck and Zubat out on the fields and a good variety of Rock and Steel types in the carved out tunnel area.

"I heard there's a lot of trainers that hang out on Route 203 all day," Barry said as they passed through the eastern checkpoint. After checking their ID cards, the officer unlocked the metal gate built into the wall itself. Dawn stared up at the now not so distant mountains with a sense of wariness. 

Sinnoh was a fairly controlled region when it came to Human/Pokemon interactions, but Mount Coronet was still one of the few truly "untamed" parts of it. Only well tested Trainers and fanatical hikers dared to wander through the labyrinth of stone and snowy peaks. And the Pokémon that called it home… The old legends said the deeper you went, the closer you were to the very Origin of Sinnoh. Almost like stepping on holy ground. Even skeptics that didn't believe in Sinnoh deities respected the foreboding aura the mountains gave off.

There were some things you did just because it was so ingrained in your culture, even if you didn't know the exact reason why. People from Kanto and Johto never climbed Mount Silver past a certain altitude, had a healthy fear of lingering ghosts at graveyards, and always tried to pay their respects to shrines they passed. Hoenn natives were careful to minimize their impact on the environment, fiercely protected the Cave of Origin, and held Mt Chimney and Sky Pillar as sacred. And you didn't mess with the Lakes, the Snowpoint Shrine, or the Coronet range here. It just wasn't done.

"Are you alright?" She tore her eyes away from the mountain. Lucas was touching her shoulder. Oh. She blinked and took a step away, adjusting her bag.

"Sorry, I thought I saw something," she lied. The strange feeling in her chest that had first made her pause was gone now. Had it all been in her head? She did too much reading about old legends alongside her own research on Sinnoh, and now it was coming back to haunt her.

"As I was _saying_ …" Barry snapped a Pokéball off his belt. "You owe me a battle, Dawn. How about it?" He'd been right about this being a popular Trainer spot now that she was engaged with the rest of their surroundings. A small group of people stalked the small pond for Water-types to catch. Two younger boys were up on a ledge not far off, their Kricketot and scrawny Machop having a friendly duel in the late morning sun. Machop colonies were fairly common to the north of Oreburgh, so that gave her a few ideas.

"I did promise, so…" Dawn unclipped her Shinx's Pokéball. "I accept. A simple two on two, then. We withdraw when our Pokémon look worn out. Let's not push them _too_ hard." Not that either of them were great at holding back. Barry whooped. 

"Yeah! We've been training all weekend so you've got no excuse when I crush you like a soda can, okay?" Lucas sighed and moved out of their way. 

"Just don't block the path, guys. I'm gonna go...look for a stray Magikarp or something. Have fun." She and Barry found a somewhat flat patch of low grass off to the side and put some space in between them. 

"Go, Tenno!" Barry was beginning to polish that throw of his, getting the red and white ball to arc high in the air before cracking open on the ground. His Piplup looked a bit larger than before, the constant fights having a visible effect on his physique. Dawn recalled the three techniques Barry's Piplup had mastered as she released Shinx without much flair. So far he knew Pound, Growl, and Bubble pretty well. All fairly easy to work around.

"Yuyami, you're first!" The black and blue feline stretched and dug his claws in the wild grass, probably enjoying the new scents, and then set his sights on their opponent. Piplup's chest puffed up, already challenging them to approach. "Tackle." Her Shinx, bearing his teeth, closed the gap with an impressive speed. Piplup didn't move an inch as he approached. 

"Pound em!" Barry called. The two Pokémon collided hard, but Piplup knocked her Shinx off balance with his well timed wing slap. Barry grabbed his advantage by the horns while Yuyami got back on his feet. "Bubble!" Her Shinx had enough sense to scramble out the way of the painful bubbles, and Dawn ordered another strike. This time, Piplup took the hit on his side and tumbled over with an undignified squeak. Now was a good time to try something new.

"Yuyami, Charge!" His body glowed with built up static, his fur crackling. Yuyami didn't have enough control for a real Electric attack yet, but he was close enough. Barry looked a little nervous.

"Tenno, Growl!" His starter righted himself and honked in warning. Her Shinx flinched, yet held his ground. 

"Leer to Tackle." Yuyami's glare cut past Piplup's bravado, leaving him with little time to brace for another blow. The electrical residue added to the pain, and he stumbled back. "Keep going." 

"Bubble! Keep him away!" Their direct battle turned into a strange game of tag. Yuyami threw his electric charged form at Tenno, only to dart away from the spray of bubbles. Neither could land another direct hit, but just being grazed was enough to slowly wear them down. Dawn could see Shinx's movements grow sluggish with each attempt. Holding the Charge was taking its toll… A tense minute passed, and then he caught a Bubble to the face. Her Pokémon yelped and fell over, too weakened to jump to attention again. Dawn bit her lip, but said nothing as she clicked the Pokéball to return Yuyami. Piplup was still standing, but they'd left him breathing hard and sporting a few new bruises. Still winnable.

"Hiru!" Dawn released her Chimchar, who let out a battlecry as his flame burst to life. 

"No time to celebrate yet, huh?" Barry shook his head. "Doesn't matter, we're still gonna win"-

"Scratch!" Hiru's speed eclipsed both Trainer and Pokémon's reaction time, and his claws raked across Tenno before he could release any more bubbles. Barry's jaw fell, and he hurried to recall his very dazed Piplup. "The round wasn't over." Dawn smiled at him. He sobered up fast, jumping right back into the fight.

"Alright, I get it. Yajiri!" Barry sent out the Starly midair, and he caught the breeze and swooped upward. Hiru had to constantly look up to keep an eye on the circling threat. This would be tough to counter with no way to match a Flying-type's verticality. 

But maybe they didn't have to match it.

"You stuck, Dawn? What's the matter? Come and get us!" Hiru spat a few Embers at the Starly, watching the bird Pokémon dodge with ease. They were so far away that it took no effort to escape the fire. They had one option left.

"Hiru, wait there." Her starter crouched in place, tensed but no longer trying to attack. She crossed her arms. Barry scratched the back of his head.

"...You're gonna make me do all the work, huh? Fine by me!" He whistled, and the circling Starly chirped back. "Quick Attack!" Yajiri dove out the sky and slammed into Hiru, just like the wild ones had just days ago. He swooped up again, escaping a retaliatory swipe in the process. "Keep going, Yajiri!" This time, Dawn was ready for how fast he descended.

"Dodge it!" Hiru rolled out of the way as Starly shot by. Every time he dove, the Chimchar narrowly escaped the Quick Attack.

"Ember!" On the next pass, Hiru sprayed the Starly with fiery sparks. Starly screeched and flapped angrily. 

"Wing Attack and get outta there!" Barry commanded. Yajiri regained some composure and battered Hiru with his strong wings. 

"Scratch! Keep him there!" As much as Dawn wanted to think this was a strategic fight, it quickly morphed into a ball of violence. Chimchar wrestled with Starly, taking some painful pecks and hits in the process of scratching away. He couldn't keep this up much longer. The fire on his back end flared brighter, and her eyes widened. They weren't done yet. "One more Ember!" 

Hiru's flame erupted, much stronger than before, and he directed the intense heat at his opponent. Starly was shoved back by the raw force of the Blaze-boosted attack, and Barry conceded their match with the red laser of Yajiri's Pokéball activating. 

"I lost…" He gripped the ball tighter and brought up his fist. "But that's the last time, you hear me? I'm gonna be the strongest Trainer in all of Sinnoh!" His voice carried across the field, though Dawn was still lost in the moment of her "win". That was sloppy. Not a very optimal way to end it. Her Chimchar took too much damage, and a real Trainer could have mitigated it better- A small hand on her boot brought her back down to Earth. Hiru gave her a questioning stare, despite the many cuts decorating his body. Dawn's eyes softened, and she picked him up. He was just happy that they'd won at all, no matter the details.

"You better not lose again," she called back to Barry. "Unless it's to me." He snorted, and then laughed. Something about that relaxed her.

"You sound like a cartoon villain!" He wheezed, catching his breath. Maybe they did watch too many superhero shows… 

By the time Lucas found them again, they'd healed their Pokémon with liberal potion spraying. Lucas had a couple more Pokéballs on his belt.

"I could hear you guys fighting from all the way over there," he complained. "You definitely caught the attention of the other Trainers, if that's what you were aiming for." Some more battles did sound nice. Yuyami needed the Spark practice and Hiru could use the exercise too.

"Alright, let's take 'em all on, then!" Barry said, charging up the hill. Hiru climbed up to Dawn's shoulder, chattering away, and she slowed her pace to accommodate for him.

* * *

It turned out that most of the kids that were on Route 203 today were novice Trainers. Barry's aggressive tactics with his Starly and Piplup overwhelmed their Pokémon within a few hits. Dawn deliberately practiced certain moves, but her Shinx's dodging and pouncing skills still left him with a distinct advantage. Hiru battled like he knew just how important it was to be strong enough to earn a Gym badge, striking with explosive speed and blistering fire. 

Afterwards, they rested again before climbing a set of concrete steps to the Oreburgh Gate entrance. The tunnel was created during the planning of Jubilife City, making it easier for the Oreburgh construction team to transfer materials out of the mountain. Nowadays, it was nothing but another scenic walking path. Inside was somewhat dark, a few old torches installed in the cave walls making just enough light to help travelers avoid stumbling on rocks. Hiru's tail flame was bright enough to startle a colony of Zubat, who screeched and flew deeper within. Some Zubat were more aggressive, but the ones around here were too used to Trainers to want to pick a serious fight.

"Woah! Wait a moment, kids!" Not long after they entered the tunnel, a broad-shouldered man dressed in hiking gear came around the corner to greet them. He looked a bit out of breath, which made Dawn raise an eyebrow. "If you're planning to explore the lower floors, you're outta luck. There's a real agitated pack of Graveler blocking off the pond chamber." He scratched his beard and turned back to look at a fork in the path. A strange wall of circular boulders made it impassable. "They damn near ran me and my poor Magmar down with all their rolling. That's why I'm guarding the path with Onix here until the Rangers show up." The hiker's Onix groaned, its deep tone filling the cave with vibrations. "Attaboy, Granite." 

How strange. Dawn didn't think the Pokémon so close to Oreburgh were prone to getting that worked up. What had upset them to the point of obstructing a well known tourist spot? Maybe a Trainer did something stupid or dangerous, but that was the Rangers' job to find out now. They had bases in every major city and at least a station that covered each named Route, which allowed Trainers to send out an emergency signal with a radio, Dex, or Pokétch and get a quick response.

"That's some garbage luck!" Barry frowned and took out Piplup's ball. "Guess we can only catch the Pokémon around here..."

"At least we'll get to the next city a little ahead of schedule." Lucas eyed the Zubat still settling from their earlier scare. "No big deal. We can always come back later." 

"I read that the Mines are partially open to people who want to train or catch Pokémon," Dawn said. Barry's mood instantly lifted.

"Then what're we wasting our time here for? I gotta beat you to the Gym registry too! Don't be slow, Dawn!" Barry sprinted further into the tunnel, dodging confused Geodude and Psyduck along the way. It always became a race between them at some point in the day.

While Lucas apologized and thanked the hiker for his warning, Dawn followed after Barry. Maybe he'd get registered first, but there was always a Gym challenge backlog. Neither of them were going to face Roark tomorrow, and she didn’t want to battle him so quickly anyway. She had to put the finishing touches on a plan first. It was about time she obtained a third team member.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just gonna keep putting the teams down here to help with keeping track of nicknames. We're definitely getting into the city proper next chapter, and maybe a preview of what fighting Roark is going to be like.
> 
> Dawn's Team  
> -Hiru the Chimchar  
> -Yuyami the Shinx
> 
> Barry's Team  
> -Tenno the Piplup  
> -Yajiri the Starly
> 
> Lucas's Team  
> -Terra the Turtwig  
> -Magus the Abra


End file.
